


Rose & Sunflower: Scriptember Writing Prompts

by Risukage



Series: Stardew Valley- Rose & Sunflower [5]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Daily Prompts, M/M, Slice of Life, video games - Freeform, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-10-25 09:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 29,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20722220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Risukage/pseuds/Risukage
Summary: This is either an attempt to get back into writing by doing daily prompts or a half-assed way to avoid finishing the last couple of chapters of the main series. Honestly not sure, I am a rolling dumpster fire and this is just more fuel.These are prompts posted in a Discord I'm in and I'm trying to see if I can use them to further flesh out Lysander's backstory, in addition to providing small "omake theater" moments that take place within books 1-3. Each day will be marked with its own tags and warnings, as most of them are pretty chill, but a couple have big NSFW or trigger warnings. That, and some of them could be considered "spoilers" for book 1, so if you've not read it yet then you might wanna do that before diving into these. Or not, I don't pay your subscription. :P





	1. 01 September- The Reason for Running

**Author's Note:**

> //September 1st Prompt: Your character picks a fight.
> 
> For two or three of you who've read my series and wondered exactly what happened in that argument that eventually sent Lys to live in Pelican Town, well, here you go. Sorta-spoilers for that series, and some violence and language.

"Allen! Allen! Wait up!"

The man in question paused at the sound of his name, wincing a little when he saw who it was. Not because of who it was, actually, but where they were, and because Lysander was the sort to face problems head-on and right away. Slightly out of breath, Lys slowed to a stop, inhaled and exhaled deeply, then gave a lopsided grin. "Hey, mate, been trying to get ahold of you all week. What's up?" He saw the way that Allen looked away, and grabbed him by the wrist, knowing that his friend was going to try to leave. "Look, I'm a bit stupid. A lot stupid. I don't know what I did to make you angry, and I'm sorry for that. Just tell me what I did so I can fix things."

Allen looked around with worry. They were in the middle of the quad on campus, and it was between classes. Shit, shit! Lysander wasn't going to let the subject or him go. "It's...nothing. Don't worry. I've got class, we can talk about this later."

He tried to pull away, but Lysander's grip was still tight. "Mate, please, I've been feeling like shit all week, you haven't answered calls or messages. What's up? You mean a lot to me, I'm worried about you, talk to me."

"Maybe you should have talked to me first." The moment he said it Allen regretted it, knowing it would create more questions. Shit, he was terrible at being put on the spot, he always needed time to think about things. The look of confusion on Lysander's face told him that this was going to end badly and he could feel himself beginning to panic. Shit.

"Tell you... I... About what? I always open up to you, hell, I feel like I never shut up. Did I cut you off or something before?" Looking even more concerned, Lysander stepped forward, likely trying to get a hug or something, he always did when he was worried, he needed physical comfort. Allen didn't, he was terrible with public affection and now that a few people were giving them curious glances he was getting more concerned and needed to get out of the spotlight a bit.

Putting a hand on Lysander's chest, Allen tried to give a bit of space, looking for an escape from being out in the open. "Just... I'm not comfortable like this, we'll talk later."

Lysander took Allen's other wrist, now looking annoyed. "No, you always do this, you always run away, stop it for a second and just tell me what the hell's going on."

"Everybody's looking."

"So? People are nosy, forget them. It's not like we're making out here or anything."

"Did you make out with everyone else in public then?"

It didn't make any sense, and it was him lashing out randomly and without reason, words he instantly regretted. Lysander frowned but didn't loosen his grip. "With- What?! No! I don't get all kissy in public. Are- You think I'm cheating on you or something?!"

"Maybe! No! I-" Allen gritted his teeth and closed his eyes to try to shut out the accusing stares from the growing interest in their conversation. "You're just- Not here!!"

Lysander was getting angry and glared at his friend, wondering what he was talking about it. "You know me better than that, I'm faithful to whomever I'm dating at the time."

"And how many have you dated? Did you just ditch them when you got bored, then?" Allen raised his voice without thinking about it, feeling his heart pounding in his ears. This was getting worse and he was getting more stressed and more people were watching and he just had to get away!

"The fuck! No! What the hell is wrong with you?! Ever since we first hooked up you know that I've always been dedicated, I don't keep count and I don't just dump people. Is that what this is about? Are you jealous that I slept with other people after we broke up when you moved?"

Cheeks burning red, Allen could feel tears burning in his eyes he had to get away, somehow! "You never told me about them, that you've... How many you've..."

"So? I didn't ask about your previous lovers when we got back together because that's none of my business."

Their voices were getting louder, drawing more attention, and though Lysander seemed oblivious to it Allen felt his panic grow stronger. "What about my business, shouldn't I know who you've been banging just in case?"

"I'm clean and I always use protection, you know that, they knew that, I don't go around just fucking anyone, it's not a game."

"You'll still fuck anyone if they ask."

This visibly hurt Lysander, and his grip on Allen's wrists grew painfully tight. "I do not. What the fuck is all this about?! I've never lied or cheated, and yeah, I'm potentially interested in anyone but I'm not just gonna go stick my dick in anyone that walks by. You've always known that. Mate, I love you, and I'm not going to fuck this up for a cheap piece of tail."

"But I don't!" This gasped rebuttal wasn't at all what Allen meant, but his head was too full of noise and he could physically feel the eyes of onlookers burning into his skin. Abruptly, he shoved Lysander away with both hands. "Just go away!" This was even worse, he knew it, but he couldn't find the words that he did want, and the pain welling up in his chest stole his breath for a moment. Why couldn't Lysander have waited until later? This was all going wrong! "I don't like men like you do and-" He was cut off when Lysander's fist connected hard with his jaw, knocking his glasses askew and sending him sprawling into the grass. His vision was thus doubly blurred when he looked up in shock, a cold pit forming in his stomach to see the look of betrayed anger on Lysander's face, but at the same time. Before Lysander could say anything, however, it was his turn to soak a punch out of nowhere. "David! Fuck, wait!!"

One of Lysander's ex-boyfriends, member of the gridball team, and mutual friend had apparently run up during the altercation, but upon seeing Lysander take a swing at Allen had decided that he needed to intervene. However, this was the worst way he could have done so, as Lysander simply staggered, snarled, and swung back, much harder than he had the first time and than David had a moment ago. This sparked a very fast but intense fight where Lysander tried to get in a hit of his own but the other man ducked out of the way each time. Barely evaded, that is, neither Allen or David had seen him this angry before, and he was much faster than they had expected. But then, he was somewhat wiry and slim, and all of that dance he'd done left him stupidly agile. The shouting had already attracted attention, but now the fight commanded it, and three of their other friends had run over to try and subdue Lysander. Allen shouted at them to stop and back off, he knew how volatile that he was and had seen him in situations like this before, but either he was ignored or they simply didn't hear him. It was only going to get worse the more people that tried to intervene. To his surprise Lysander was holding his own rather well, though in fairness to everyone involved, they were simply trying to stop him and he was the only one fighting back. But again, Allen had seen this before, Lysander wasn't himself at that moment, and he wasn't going to stop until everyone else was on the ground.

Too paralyzed with fear and indecision Allen could only watch in shock until Lysander tripped and landed on his back. This provided the opening that David needed, and he planted a knee in Lysander's chest as he used a move that Lysander had tried to teach to Allen before, where one could use their opponent's shirt collar to help cut off air and blood supply for a moment, momentarily knocking them out. It should have worked, but David wasn't as well-trained as Lysander had been, and a final, frantic swat caught David at just the right angle to dizzy the gridballer. This gave Lysander the opening that he now needed to break free, shove David aside and roll away, getting his feet under him. He gasped for breath, shaking his head to clear it as someone helped David to his feet, eyeing his friend warily. Standing again, Lysander blinked and snarled, still angry, but now no longer offensively so, and saw Allen still where he had fallen. The fog of rage instantly cleared when he saw the look of pain and terror that his friend wore, shrinking away from him.

Now that Lysander had got a hold of himself David tried to move to him to see what had happened and if he was okay, but the adrenaline that hadn't quite left him pushed him in the wrong direction yet again, and Lysander turned to sprint away, moving much faster than they had expected. "Lys, wait!" Allen tried to get up but grunted from the weight of his backpack. He shrugged out of it and got up. "Watch this for me, I'm going after him." Not nearly as fast as the other man, Allen ran after him, knowing where he was going and hoping he would be able to fix this when he got there. He had to! This was all his fault...


	2. 02 September- Climate Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 2nd Prompt: Your character(s) are not dressed for the sudden weather shift.
> 
> We've all been there, out and about when suddenly the weather decides it needs to go do something VERY different and we have exactly the wrong gear and clothing for it. Though for Midwesterners this is usually called "Tuesday," if I remember it correctly... :P

Lysander put his hands in his pockets and strolled away from Sebastian's house on the mountain, taking the west path to his own home. He had finally returned that book he'd finished reading AGES ago, but had forgotten where he'd put it. ...It had been on the table next to one side of the couch, but had gotten buried under a couple of magazines... Still, it had been found and returned, and it was a nice day for a walk, and he was dressed in his usual t-shirt combo, cargo pants, and boots, enjoying the sun and the breeze and-

The sky suddenly got darker and the wind shifted, coming from another direction, now much colder and smelling very damp. "...FUCK," Lysander groaned, shielding his eyes with one hand as he scanned the sky, then saw the storm clouds rolling in from the west. He'd not checked the forecast that day because he hadn't planned to really be out doing anything, and in any case, it didn't often rain this time of year. Well, it was "that time," and it was going to make up for lost time. Fat, splashy raindrops began to pelt the ground as the storm front advanced, and the horizon was looking very dark and moist. Breaking into a fast lope, Lysander took the route home as fast as he could, minding the unpaved nature of it and the fact that the ground was getting more unstable by the minute. Inside of five minutes he was already quite wet, and by the time he arrived at home he was soaked through, the thunder above almost laughing at him while the wind blew up his shirt at random intervals, making the chill even worse. He had kept his footing, thankfully (good boots were worth every penny!), and he stopped to catch his breath on the back porch by the door to the kitchen.

Examining himself, he sighed loudly, dripping water but thankfully free of mud from his trek, and now starting to feel cold since he had stopped moving. The laundry room was adjacent to the kitchen, but he really didn't want to track all of this in all over the floor, even if it would be easy to clean up. He pulled his shirts off over his head and wrung them out, draping them over the bench next to the door, pausing to smirk when Xander, their ginger tabby, galloped to safety as well. Shaking himself off and looking very soaked and spiky, Xander looked up at Lysander and howled mournfully. "Looks like you got caught too, hunh buddy?" Lysander had sat down on the bench to remove his boots and was now fumbling with his belt buckle with chilled fingers while Xander pawed at the pet door, but skittered back when Elliott opened the door, having heard his pet call out.

"Hello, Xander, you poor thing-" He glanced up and paused to see his completely-naked husband wringing out his hair, earning an equally curious look in return, and he shrugged with a smile. "Not complaining, just amused. It seems that you both were caught unexpectedly."

"Yeah, but I've got the courtesy to try to dry off a bit here and not track it in, unlike someone who seems to be going to right for the couch."

Elliott turned to see Xander padding into the house and making a beeline for the sofa. "Gah! Cat! No!"

As the blonde man grabbed a couple of dish towels from the oven handle and darted over to attempt to prevent damage to the furniture, Lysander chuckled and tucked his clothes under one arm, holding his boots in his other hand and nudging the door shut behind him. "I'm going to stuff all of this in the dryer and then find a nice, fluffy robe to wrap up in. Smells like you made some coffee? I could really use something warm right now."

Xander had been caught in time and Elliott was furiously rubbing him dry, something that was both disliked yet appreciated. "I did, and I also found that book that Sam had loaned you while you were out, you were looking for that as well, I recall."

Groaning at this new information, Lysander closed the dryer door and roughly jabbed the "start" button. "...I'm giving that back to him tomorrow..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	3. 03 September- Underwear... Under where?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 3rd Prompt: Your character can't find their underwear.
> 
> TFW you and your boyfriend bang all night long and then you're almost late for class the next morning....

The alarm on Lysander's phone went off yet again, and it finally woke him enough to crack a bleary eye at the screen to decipher the digital glyphs it displayed. After a few seconds of contemplation Lysander swore and sat up, looked around, and nearly fell out of bed because the bedsheet had wrapped around an ankle. This woke his companion, who made a noise of curiosity and propped himself up on his elbows, scanning the room myopically. "You okay?"

"Just fine, luv, going to be late for class if I don't hurry." He began to gather his clothes while Allen fumbled for his glasses on the nightstand.

"Dang, sorry, Lys, didn't mean to keep you up so late like that."

Lysander had found his shirt and pulled it on over his head. "Nah, it's all good, I told you to bang me like a drum set at a heavy metal concert and you delivered. This is why I set, like, three alarms." He paused, looked around, and Allen asked him what he was looking for. "...My underwear. I've got everything else, though."

The normally-shy man smiled and hugged a pillow to his chest. "Well, go without, then?"

Clad in only his shirt at the moment, Lysander did another visual sweep of the studio apartment and wrinkled his nose, going for the clothes dresser. "Nah, I'm not the sort to go that free, already sat on 'em funny once, not doing that again. I'll just borrow yours." This got a blush out of Allen, who tried to hide behind the pillow. "What? I've been in your pants metaphorically how many times now? It's time to do it literally." He retrieved a pair of boxer-briefs and stepped into them, hitching them up as he went back to he bed for his trousers. "I'll get 'em back to you after I've washed them, not gonna be that sort of boyfriend."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed once trousers had been applied, socks and boots were next while Allen shifted to be able to hug him from behind. "Well, my class isn't for a bit longer, but I might as well get up, too. Catch you later tonight?"

Lysander turned to kiss him and offer a playful grope, earning a gasp and a chuckle. "Sounds great. My place tonight?"

"Sure thing." He waved as Lysander bounded to his feet, grabbed his backpack, and darted out the door to try to make it to his first class of the day on time.

A few hours later Lysander got a message from Allen.

**QuantumEntangler:** Um... I have your skivvies

**SixStrings:** Oh nifty! Where did you find them?

**QuantumEntangler:** I didn't. My sister did

**SixStrings:** LOLOMG. So she thinks that they're yours?

**QuantumEntangler:** No, she thinks that they belong to my girlfriend. I'm not gonna correct her

**SixStrings:** Pffft!! In fairness, bikini briefs are more of a girly thing, yeah. Well, if she ever pries for details tell her that you're dating a hot ginger. Ooh! Remember that sexy pic of me in those jeans after that dare a few months back? Show that if she demands to see who it is :D

**QuantumEntangler:** omfg nooooooooo D:

**SixStrings:** muahahahahahaha! Where were they anyway?

**QuantumEngangler:** by the front door. How...

**SixStrings:** oooh, that makes sense, you kinda just threw them somewhere after you got 'em off of me. Hahahaha, well, I feel better about that now. Off to my next class now, see you tonight. And you can wear them if you like... <3

**QuantumEntangler:** I'm not that sort of boyfriend. See you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	4. 04 September- Pics Because it DID Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 4th Prompt: One character loses a bet to another character.
> 
> At this point I'm just shitposting, and I'm loving it. This is just an excuse for me to expand Lys's backstory, and all of this is canon!  
This is what happens when a bet should go horribly wrong but ends up being just so right instead. Caution: minor (happy) swearing and confused boners are present.

Like many good stories, this one starts with alcohol. Technically, there was more story prior to the alcohol, but it is not pertinent to this story, because the bits that are interesting is after libations have been imbibed. As was their wont, Lysander and some of his friends were at the local pub, having a couple of pints to help lubricate the process of studying for their classes later that evening. Great quantities of lubrication had been consumed, and as such topics slid about haphazardly and at random, until someone decided that Lysander needed to be sassed, of which the ginger man was having none of it.

A plus-sized woman in tasteful gothic clothing and equally skilled if heavy makeup pointed a manicured finger in his general direction. "You are just...confusing. Like, you're a hot dude, but I bet with the right shit you'd make a cute chick, too. Like, back when we were banging I wanted to put you in a skirt and stuff so bad to mess with people 'cause I know you can do it. Also 'cause I'm kinda bi-curious and I wanted to see what it would do to me."

She giggled and sipped her drink while Lysander nodded, albeit a bit clumsily. "Genderfluid. It's like, yeah, I'm a dude, but I can get away with looking however I want, I just identify more as a guy."

"Pff, whatever," dismissed one of their other friends, "there's no way you could make a good looking woman, you're totally a guy."

Grinning at him, Lysander put down his mug. "Wanna bet?"

The other man likewise set down his drink, looking both buzzed and amused. "Oh hell yes, easy win. Name your terms."

Lysander put a finger to his lips and thought. "Hmm, if I can pull it off, you cover my bar tab for a month."

"Fine, and if you can't then you cover mine. Heh, I'm drinking for free this month!"

While he laughed at the prospect of an early victory, Lysander's grin got wider. "Bonus: If I can pick somebody up while dressed that way, and if they know who and what I am with no deceptions, you also cover pizza for a week. Finals are coming up and I'm gonna be fucking hungry and pulling all-nighters."

"Double done!" A handshake was exchanged, and Lysander giggled furiously as the mental gears began to turn, already planning.

A week later they had met up at Dante's, the local bar and weekend burlesque club. It was a favorite place for Lysander to go, and he also knew that it was amateur night, where patrons could get the chance to show their moves if they were so inclined at the end of the night after the pros had left the stage. His friends were already there when he strolled up, and they didn't recognize him at first, as his walk had gone from a stride to a sashay, mostly due to the chunky, strappy high heels he was wearing. They did a great job of accentuating the hip-hugging jeans that he'd somehow found in his size (stuff like that was difficult to find for a man nearly six feet tall!), and between that and the midriff-baring shirt the t-back thong that looped up and over the curve of his hips was VERY noticeable. His theater training was definitely on full display, as while he already had high cheekbones and full lips, some brown mascara and eyeliner enhanced his eyes further, and a bit of nude blush and lipstick rounded out not only the package but his face. His hair, as always, was loose and over his shoulders, but it was tucked behind his left ear and secured with a couple of gold-colored clips.

"Hi! Ready to have fun?" he asked, his voice that usual warm tenor that somehow both matched and yet was bizarre coming out of that face. His friends gaped at him before the goth woman fumbled in her purse for her cell phone.

"Oh my fuck, I need pics of this so bad. You are hot."

He laughed and posed for her, then offered his own phone for photos. "Thanks, mate, I'm wicked chuffed, the hardest part of this was just getting high heels in my size. Proitp, if you need shoes like this in my size hit the adult shops. Picked up a few other fun things I needed while there, may even get to use them tonight!"

The person with whom the bet had been made groaned and sagged. "Shit, yeah, I'm not even gonna fight it, you're drinking on me this month."

Lysander traced a finger down his friend's cheek and winked. "And possibly more, I've still got the bonus round to try and win, remember? C'mon, I got us reserved seats near the front, those aerial silk dancers are performing tonight and I love watching them work."

Many drinks were had that night (though Lysander was courteous enough to pick up his own tab that night, the bet wouldn't "kick in" until the next day), and the entertainment was skilled and exotic, often tastefully erotic. Then the night grew late and for those who were daring (and usually drunk) enough, amateur hour had started. At the table over from them a group of women were trying to psych themselves up for at least one to go up, but couldn't quite get the courage, even with the amount of the liquid sort that they'd imbibed. Lysander chuckled, winked at them, and smiled. "I'll show you how it's done. Watch and learn." With much more of a sway in his hips than usual, he got onto stage to raucous applause and much verbal encouragement from his friends.

The goth woman leaned over to the other table and waved at them cheerfully. "He wasn't being rude, he just legit knows how to pole dance and is using this as a chance to fuck with one of our friends. He's really a sweetie." The women at the table exchanged surprised looks before one leaned over in return.

"Wait, that's a guy? Holy shit, he's hot! I thought he was, well, one of us!"

"Long story, he's winning a bet, but he's still sexy in guy's clothes- Oh! Yasss, lemme get some dollas, I'm going to make it rain." She pulled her wallet out of her bra and produced a couple of small bills. "Work it, girlfriend!"

True to her word, Lysander did know how to pole dance, and he was good at it. It would have already been impressive normally, but doing it in those tight jeans and in shoes he wasn't used to made for an alluring performance that garnered applause from the entire audience. When he finally stepped down and went back to his table, one of the women from the other one approached him shyly. "Um... That was....pretty amazing. Um..." He smiled at her, warm and polite, gesturing for her to continue, which gave her the last courage she needed. "So...are you doing anything later tonight?..." She turned bright red at being so forward, hiding her face behind her hands as her friends shouted encouragement.

Hooking one knee over the other, Lysander looked both amused and pleased. "I could easily be talked into a number of things. Also," he turned and smirked at his friend. "Looks like you owe me pizza during finals, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	5. 05 September- Falling Through the Cracks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 5th Prompt: One of your characters accidentally touches another character in an inappropriate way.
> 
> Continuing the shitpost series, Lys has an "oops" behind the scenes before a performance, because he's a loveable doofus  
As usual, casual profanity but little else that should be offensive, because if you can't handle shenanigans then don't "@" me, bruh :P

It was an hour before he was to go on stage, and Lysander was putting the final touches on his makeup and costume. Examining himself one last time, he grinned at his reflection. "Perfect! I'm good to go, you need any help?"

Chiffon, one of his many long-time theater companions and a very fetching woman with an extremely full figure, was struggling with her corset. Many people would be aghast or embarrassed to be standing in one's undergarments around other people, but in theater, it was just another thing that happened backstage while getting ready for the show. "Yeah, I'm having a bitch of a time getting this laced up, help a girl out, would you?" As requested, he helped her get it adjusted into place, then tugged at the laces in the back to tighten and secure the corset, making her already-impressive bosom something that one could use as a serving tray. "Oof! There we go, lemme see." She flexed and bent in a couple of different directions before nodding. "Good, it's secure but I can still move and breathe. Thanks, Lys. You are SO lucky that you don't have to deal with these things, real life or on-stage."

"Hey, I'll wear one for shits and giggles if someone needs me to, but since I lack the parts to make it work there's really no reason for it, right?" He laughed and went back up to the various cosmetics on the table in front of the huge, well-lit mirror, and tossed her the mascara so she could finish her own makeup before getting into costume. However, she didn't have the coordination that he did and wasn't expecting it, so she ended up fumbling and bouncing it in the air a couple of times. Reflexively, Lysander reached out to catch it, and overbalanced while doing so just as she stepped forward to try to make another grab at the cosmetic tube. As such, he ended up catching it, but in doing so ended up putting his hand straight down her corset. "...Ohshit..." He froze in place, certain that he should remove his hand, but at the same time didn't want to end up groping her further in doing so.

Fortunately, she was more surprised than offended, and began giggling. The way Lysander's panic deepened made her laugh harder until tears were running down her cheeks, and the action of laughing nearly made both Lysander's hand and her cleavage pop out of the corset. "Oh my fuck, your face, your _face_. Shit, _my_ face, my makeup, I gotta do it again, don't I?" Now freed from his paralysis Lysander yanked his hand free, still maintaining a death grip on the tube of mascara.

"Sorry! Oh gods, I'm so, so sorry! That was a total accident, I _swear_." He blushed the color of his hair, hands over his mouth. "If you need to slap me or something go right ahead, we'll fix our makeup together."

This made her laugh harder, and she had to stagger to get a chair to sit in. "It's okay, you've got those weird ninja reflexes and I totally flubbed the catch. Oh wow, oh wow..." She fanned herself for a moment as she caught her breath, then checked the mirror and giggled again. "Shit, I've gotta do my eyes all over again, at least the rest of it is okay. Good thing I hadn't got that mascara on yet or I'd have to do _everything_ all over again."

Relaxing visibly, Lysander very firmly and carefully handed over the mascara. "Still, totally sorry about that, I'm so embarrassed."

"You're _fine_, sweetie, that was actually funny as hell. And we've got almost an hour before the curtain goes up, I've got plenty of time to get this redone and still get my hair and costume ready."

Other actors were filtering into the room, in various states of dress and makeup, several of them eyeing the script one last time because of last-minute changes. Lysander found his grin again and shrugged. "Well, since you didn't break my arm for that, I guess I'll just have to prepare to break a leg, as it were. I'm gonna go help make sure the set is good to go before the audience starts getting their seats." She waved at him as he ducked past another arrival and headed toward the stage to assist with final preparations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	6. 06 September- Candy & Crushes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 6th Prompt: Include one or all of these things: an unlabeled can of soup, a cigarette pack filled with candy, an unrequited crush. (Or an equivalent in your world)
> 
> Warning: not safe for diabetics or anyone who doesn't like happy fluff :P

Lysander had dropped by Sam's house to borrow a book, but was greeted unexpectedly by Sam's younger brother when he knocked on the door. "Hi mister Lys!"

"Hey Vincent, is Sam in?"

The grade-schooler helpfully pointed to the kitchen. "Yeah, he's helping mom with stuff. C'mon in!"

Accepting the invite, Lysander strolled through the house and poked his head into the kitchen, where Jodi was busy preparing dinner and Sam was putting stuff away, apparently having helped her with preliminary work. "Hey mate, is this a good time?"

The man with spiky blonde hair grinned and shrugged. "It's not a bad one, just that stuff got put away funny and we were trying to sort it right." The pantry was open and most of its contents were stacked on the counter. Lysander picked up a can of _something_, but without the label he had no idea what it was.

Jodi turned from the stove and smiled at their visitor. "Hello, Lys, nice to see you again. Anything I can get you?"

"I'm good, thanks, just dropped by to swipe a book from Sam. Looks like he could use a break, especially if there are more mystery tins like this."

"I'm pretty sure that that's soup, but the best I can do is open it and put it into a different container once I know what it is. At least the expiration date is printed right on the can, so whatever it is I know it's good."

Lysander put down the unidentified soup and followed after Sam, rummaging in a cargo pocket for something. Once in his room he offered it to his friend, getting a funny look. "You do know that I don't smoke, even though those hipster ones you like do smell neat."

"I know," Lysander replied as he dropped onto Sam's sofa, "but I remembered just as I was walking out of the house that you wanted to try some of the candies we were messing with, and I had just moved the pack to my case. So screw it, I just filled it up."

Sam made a noise of interest and tried one. "Oh neat, that's good mint. It tastes so _green_. Man, I gotta try all of the flavors you're doing."

"Don't eat them all at once, make sure to save a few for Penny," Lysander teased, making Sam nearly choke on the treat.

"I... Yeah, I should, she needs nice things. She's almost as sweet as these are."

"You are such an adorable dweeb. Rock star and kickass music and lyrics writer, but totally melting when you just think of your crush."

Sam blushed a little and threw a pillow at his friend, who laughed and failed to duck out of the way. "Shut up, she's just so... Pure, y'know? She's a great, nice person and I still can't believe she likes me and I'm terrified I'll mess it up or make her cry." He stuck his tongue out at Lysander and smirked. "I know you and Elliott are happily married, but you can't tell me that someone didn't have that effect on you before."

This got a thoughtful expression out of the ginger man, who flopped on his back to consider it. "Hmm, good question, I was usually always confident, so- Oh yeah, there was that one girl, she was so interesting, and just the most chill person ever. I really wanted a chance with her, but I was just too nervous, I didn't think I was good enough. And you know me, I have confidence out the wazoo, even back then. Never quite worked up the courage to try to ask her out, and then it turned out that she preferred women anyway, so it was all moot at that point. Still! I crushed on her pretty hard, she had a great aesthetic and I think I was mostly interested because she just looked classy as hell and I respected the heck out of her."

Guffawing heartily, Sam found the book that Lysander was looking for and tossed it to him. "You are such a dork. But that is kinda cute. Never expected something like that from you."

Lysander took the offered book and shrugged as he stood. "I'm a hell of a lot more confident and chill now than I used to be. I've always believed in myself and stuff, but in truth I was always slightly terrified that I'd fuck it up or offend someone. You saw me when I first came here, I was a fucked-up mess and had no confidence or anything at all. And after everything with Allen I was terrified that I'd push all of you away, too. ...And thanks for flirting with me back then, even if you were doing it to be funny, I kinda needed that at that time."

He gave Sam a hug and giggled when his friend tickled his sides, cuffing his shoulder as they walked out. "Yeah, well, I was less bi-curious than you-curious, if that makes sense, you were just weird and I was totally fascinated, you weren't anything like we'd had here before. I don't wanna say I had a crush, more like... You were a novelty and that was neat."

"Glad I was able to amuse." Lysander paused inside the door frame, then gave Sam a friendly smile. "But still, you and Penny are such a good match, I'm really happy for you both. Catch you later." He waved as he walked off, enjoying the happy smile his friend now wore as well, and pulled the metal case from his other cargo pocket, the book tucked between his arm and body. He extracted a strawberry-scented cigarillo, put it to his lips, put away the case, lit his smoke, and proceeded to enjoy the walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	7. 07 September- Words that Changed His World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 7th Prompt: Your character(s) need to write a letter to someone.
> 
> The hardest part of this one was trying to figure out why Lys would write to someone. Everyone in contact is either close enough to visit personally, has a reliable phone number, or is in the Chatter server. Once I figured it out, though, it just clicked. Funny enough, not a spoiler, since it takes place in the second or third paragraph of Book 1, and no warnings unless you remember what a fucking mess Lys was at first and it still hurts you to read about that. :3

Lysander leaned roughly back in his computer chair, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He’d read that paragraph three times and didn’t remember any of it. Removing a silver half-rim pair of glasses, he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

_Damn, I just can’t focus today. This week just isn’t getting any better. It’s not getting any worse, at least. Nothing can be worse than-_

He stopped that train of thought quickly, brushing a lock of copper-red hair behind his ear. He had considered tying it back, as it went past his shoulders and sometimes got in the way, but he felt safer hiding behind it. Placing the glasses next to his keyboard, he opened a desk drawer and reached for-

_Oh, Grandpa’s letter. Maybe it’s time to go ahead and open it. Not got anything to lose, really. Like it could make anything worse._

Breaking the wax seal (Grandpa was delightfully quirky like that), he unfolded the letter and skimmed it, reaching for his coffee. He paused halfway to his mug, re-read the middle portion, and leaned forward to rest both elbows on the desk as he carefully read the missive. After reading it completely through twice he set it down and picked up his lukewarm coffee, absentmindedly swirling the half-sip left in the bottom as he mulled over what he had read.

_I could get away. Somewhere. Anywhere. Change it all and try again. Or am I just throwing everything away and running? Does it really matter? Anything has to be better. It’s not like I’m important or will actually accomplish something, I just want to be less useless…_

But, wait, how would he actually take ownership of this property? It gave him the details of the deed, which were safely in the (legal) keeping of the mayor of its town, but the letter hadn't contained any of that information. ...Shit, he was at square one again, wasn't he?

_No. No! Stop that!_

He shook his head and stood up to make another cup of coffee, mostly to keep his hands busy so he could think properly. Well, first, he had to reach out to the person who had the deed, and also would know if he could take possession of his grandfather's farm in the first place. He remembered visiting it a few times as a kid, though he held no particular nostalgia regarding it, and he had no experience with inheritance laws, so he wasn't certain if the property had been merged or purchased or something, and thus if he actually had a claim to it.

As the coffee steeped in the press, he went to the fridge to get the milk and added just a bit to the mug.

_Okay, don't get off-track, there has to be a way to reach the person in charge out there, so how would I- Oh, maybe there's a site on the state or county website. _

He went back to his laptop and brought up the main website for the state and entered "Pelican Town," honestly not expecting much. To his surprise, while it wasn't a proper website, it did have its own wiki-style page, listing information such as climate, economy and trade, and most importantly, government. Or what passed for it. Ah! There! Making a soft whoop of success, he got up to pour the coffee and proceeded to copy the contact information for the mayor of Pelican Town to a separate notepad file. After a bit of skimming, he began to copy over other relevant bits he would need to know or research further, but this was his best start. He did have a phone number, but then he thought about what it might be like to have some rando just call him out of nowhere and say that hey, he was related to someone that used to live there and you know, he stood to inherit it. Yeah, right, he'd seen enough email and internet scams to know better. Best to write him, and a physical letter, not email. Not only did there not list one, but again, internet scams, and it just felt _right_. He didn't remember much, but he knew that his grandfather and the previous mayor had been best friends growing up, and had often written to each other, even though telephones were common and calls were dirt cheap. What was his name... Ah, Lewis. Frowning, he glanced at the contact info again and was honestly surprised. It was still the same bloke as mayor, even after that many years. Wow!

Once more he got up, searching for writing paper and a pen (easy enough, being a college student), and an envelope and stamps (harder, since he never wrote letters), but got lucky and found both in his box of writing bits, along with his other pencils and such. Still, he wanted to draft this letter first, to get it right before he wrote it. Opening another writing file, he kept the windows open for the notes and website, and began to type. Two hours later he had something that he was satisfied with; it was polite and honest, and simply stated the facts, that he was Lex's grandson and had found a letter from him basically willing the farm to him if he so chose. He had only just now found that letter or he'd have reached out sooner, and he had no idea of the condition of the property or if it was even available for him in the first place. Further, said letter was attached as proof, and also in case it was needed for legal reasons. He finished the letter with his own address, phone number, and email, as he didn't want to omit any manner in which he could be reached. His cup empty and cold, he read his prospective missive for the last time, nodded to himself, and began penning it out by hand, wincing at his terrible handwriting (he was so much more used to typing!), and laboriously took his time to get it right and not need to re-do the entire thing because he misspelled something or missed a whole paragraph.

Leaving it on the table to dry (just in case, he knew his luck), he triple-checked the destination address and name, adding it and his own address to the envelope. The letter was folded carefully and added to the envelope as well as his grandfather's letter (which he actually didn't want to send off, he was worried about never getting it back), and the entire package was sealed and stamped. It was strange to him just how heavy it suddenly felt, burdened with the weight of a potential future, and his stomach did a quick flip as he considered the prospect of being told off. He had only known about this opportunity for less than a day, but already he was terrified that it wouldn't pan out. With a steadying sigh, he went out to the mailbox, put it in the outgoing slot, and then had to take a moment to gather himself enough to go back to his studio apartment. The door was locked behind himself before he trudged to the bed, sitting down heavily with his elbows on his knees. He sat there like that a few minutes before he removed his boots, stripped off his clothes haphazardly, and curled up to pass out for sleep. It was only early afternoon, but this had somehow exhausted him, especially with recent events.

His anxiety gnawed at him all week, and he began to think that it had all been a fool's errand, who would believe such a silly fairy story?

_Hunh? What's this area code?_

Momentarily pulled from his self-recrimination, Lysander looked at his phone, wondering who was calling. It wasn't a local number, but he'd seen it before, but-

_OH!!_

"Hello? Lysander von Morgensonne speaking."

"Ah, so I did dial it right!" said a man on the other end, "hello, I'm Lewis, I was friends with your grandfather, Alexander von Morgensonne. I just got your letter. So you got around to opening it eh? He had written to me just before he passed, letting me know his plans, but didn't want me to do anything unless someone else contacted me first."

Lysander was almost speechless. It had worked... It had worked! "What- Wait? He really did? So this is all real, then? I mean, it sounds like some weird scam, so I was worried that..."

The chuckle from the caller was comforting somehow. "Quite alright, my boy, Lex was always the trickster. Everyone was dead convinced that there was fae blood somewhere in his line. While he didn't divulge everything to me, he had said that he'd written to his grandson, but had it sealed with instructions to not open it until things, well, got bad."

There was a curious silence at the end, and while it was clear that he didn't want to pry, it was also clear that he hoped to hear that things weren't actually bad. Lysander smiled sadly at this, he wasn't surprised at all, Grandpa had been cheeky as hell. "It's... Things aren't great, no. I'm looking for...something. I don't know, really. Just... I..." He trailed off, almost hanging up. He would just screw this up, too. Don't waste this person's time. "...Sorry. I'm sorry to bother, I didn't think this through."

"Like I said, it's not a problem. This would be a big change, moving away from a big city to a small town in the boonies. That, and you'd be on your own on a farm, so while you would own your home outright, you'd be working long and hard to support it." He sighed, and Lysander could almost hear a shrug. "I'm not discouraging you, but I don't want to give you false hope."

_Hope... That's all I've got left. So there's nothing left to lose._

"I don't care. I... I mean, it's okay. I want to do this. He gave me that letter for a reason, so I'm going to take that chance."

They talked a bit longer, working out small details, and Lewis promised to call him again the next day once he had more info. When Lysander put down the phone he flopped on his back on his bed, staring at the ceiling and feeling both numb and excited. Then, he sniffed as his nose and eyes burned with tears. He rolled to one side, pulling a pillow to his chest, crying softly with pent-up emotions he hadn't realized he'd been pushing down.

_I... I have a new chance. I can do this, I think. Still, whatever happens, I can change. Need to change. ...Thanks, Grandpa, for this second chance, I'll do your memory proud..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	8. 08 September- Damn It, Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 8th Prompt: Include one or all of these three things: A brass door handle, a silver bell, and some peppermint candy. (Or an equivalent in your world.)
> 
> Yet again the prompt was one of those "wait what?" Ones, but once I had the thread, the tapestry wove itself. :D  
Warning: obscene levels of cuteness ahead!

Lynn and Arthur von Morgensonne got out of their car at their son's home, formerly Arthur's childhood home, and he looked around with satisfaction. "He's really doing a good job with the place, dad would be proud." He closed the door as Lynn got her purse and shut her door as well, heading to the front porch, then noticed that the screen door was propped open while Lysander sat on a stool, assembling a new door knob on the front door. "Hey, Pick, what'cha up to?"

The other ginger-haired man turned a little to see the arrivals, then waved and removed one of the screws he'd been holding between his lips. "Hey, just swapping out the old door handle for a knob."

"Oh? It wore out or broke?" Arthur bent over to pick up the well-used brass handle, running his thumb over it as he examined it.

"No, it's because of _this _asshole," Lys huffed, pointing the screwdriver at Xander, his ginger tabby cat, who was a very happy and fuzzy loaf in the sunlight on the porch. "He's figured out how handles work and has been opening doors. It's not so bad inside, and he uses the cat flap in the back door to the kitchen, but when he opens the front and screen doors and leaves them open... _At two in the morning!!_" He shot another glare at his pet who continued to ignore them all and enjoyed the afternoon warmth. "I had to chase an owl out of the house. An owl! I must have looked drunk or like I was on drugs, bare-assed naked trying to herd a very bothered owl out of the house with a broom and a towel while _this asshole_ keeps trying to pounce it. Thankfully Elliott was able to get it while distracted and trap it under a laundry basket, and we were able to scootch it outside, but still. Oy!"

"Ah, you're telling them of last week's owl intruder?" asked an amused voice from inside the house while Arthur and Lynn had a good laugh over the avian adventure.

"Yeah, and I'm done with this, just need to put stuff away."

Elliott arrived at the door with a cup of coffee that he handed to Lysander, who sipped it gratefully and checked his work, getting up to get out of the way so his parents could go in. "Hello, Lynn, Arthur, can I interest you in a drink?"

Arthur slipped past Lysander, patting his son on the shoulder. "If you've got any of that coffee left I'll have a cup. You, dear?"

Lynn waved at them and rummaged in her purse. "Same, though gimmie a sec, I'm still working on that peppermint candy I grabbed earlier, so no rush. Ah, there we go!" She pulled a dark green cat collar from her purse, with a silver bell and a name tag hanging off of it. "Time to spoil the grandkid I've got a little, right?"

Making an appreciative noise, Lysander took it for a second to examine it, ringing the bell and smiling at the gentle sound. "Aww, this is nice, thanks, mom, he does need a nice collar."

He handed it back and she approached Xander with a grin reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat. "Heeeeey, Xander, who'sa pretty kitty boy?" she cooed, being deliberately silly. This got his attention enough to cock an ear in her direction and half-open one eye. When she was a couple of feet away he looked up at her, trilling with curiosity and happily accepting ear- and back-scritchies. Once she was close enough she squatted down and hastily tried to put the collar on him. He wasn't expecting this and flattened his ears against his head as he squashed in on himself like an accordion. The moment she stepped back he exploded free, jumping forward a foot or two and shook himself off. The jingling of the bell surprised him, and he scrunched up again before realizing that the sound was coming from him. After a minute of trying to sniff, lick, and otherwise investigate it, he gave up and flopped on his side in the sun again.

Snickering, Lysander sipped his coffee and leaned against the door frame. "Well, he seems to not hate it that much, I kinda figured his legs would stop working in protest immediately."

With one last butt-scratch for the cat, Lynn followed them inside and closed the screen door, leaving the main one open to let in the fresh air. "And it looks so nice on him, I was thinking dark blue, but you like green a bit better. At least collars are easy to size, it's not like trying to buy a shirt for someone and finding that hey, that size no longer fits! Ooh, thanks!" She was the last to receive a cup of coffee and reflexively sipped it, then made a funny face. "Ack, I forgot I had just finished that mint. ...Actually, that doesn't taste too bad. It's kinda washing away the minty taste. Neat." She joined her husband on the couch, patting his knee, and giggling at Lys and Elliott mimicking their pose on the other side. "Well! I've got reservations at the restaurant later tonight, but until then, what's up? Sounds like things are going well, and the farm looks great."

Arthur nodded and looked fondly out the door. "It's the same place I grew up in, but you've really made it yours. Loving the rose hedge, too, it's going to be really pretty once it's had a couple of years to grow and flourish."

Lysander and Elliott looked extremely pleased and shared a hug before regaling their guests with the status of the crops, future ideas, and just overall How Things Were Going. They chatted easily for a couple of hours until it was time to pile into the car and head into Zuzu City for dinner. Xander still had his collar when they left, and to Lynn's delight, he still had it on when he dozed on the bed when they returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	9. 09 September- Man in the Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 9th Prompt: Your character looks at their reflection.
> 
> No warnings, just slice-of-life musings, and being supportive and positive of each other. Because they are good men. <3

Yawning blearily as he got up, Lysander swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck and blinking away sleep. After half a minute of sitting there he got up, noticing that Elliott was already awake and had just finished using the restroom. He stepped past him to relieve himself as well while Elliott examined himself in the mirror, thumbing the stubble forming on his chin.

Done with his biological needs, Lysander joined the other man at the bathroom counter, staring at his reflection. Noticing that he wasn't his normal, cheerful self, he traced soft fingers down Lysander's back. "What troubles you, love?"

Sighing, Lysander put both hands on the counter and rested his weight on them. "...Nightmare again."

"Which one?" Elliott knew that while his husband wasn't prone to bad dreams, there were a few specific ones, and they were bad. Lysander traced the line on his neck, silently stating which one had bothered him, and Elliott moved to hug him from behind. "Damn, that one always leaves you a wreck. Anything that I can do, or do you simply require time to recover?"

Lysander didn't reply immediately, leaning back into the other man and resting his head on Elliott's shoulder. He sighed and shrugged. "It's... I should be over it by now. I've made up with Allen and everybody. I've got you. The house and the farm and band are doing great. There's no reason that I should be having that dream anymore."

Kissing his neck and shoulder, Elliott squeezed him warmly. "Since you have that dream then there is something in the back of your mind that causes that fear."

With another sigh, Lysander wrinkled his nose. "No? I mean, I guess it's less fear and more...frustration. Hate at myself. Not for doing it, not anymore. But...hating and being frustrated by the fact that now and then I still have...those thoughts. Not a lot, it's rare, but..."

"Talk to me, dearest. Do not bury this, give voice to your pain."

"Just sometimes I have an emotionally bad day for some reason, and then there'll be that one little thing to push me over and... I'll get those thoughts. Nothing I'm going to act on, but those little, awful voices in the back of your head that just don't shut up. And I know it's all stupid and I won't act on any of that and stuff, but _still_. I hate it, and I kinda hate myself for it." He sagged in Elliott's arms, squeezing his eyes shut, feeling the burning of tears beginning to start.

The blonde man hugged him very firmly this time. "I understand, dearest. None of your thoughts are wrong or immoral, and they do not make you a bad person. It isn't a bad thing to have those thoughts, and the fact that you recognize them as unhealthy and discard them is what is important. I'm proud of you, I truly am. I know I say it all the time but I will say it as many times as you need to hear it." He took Lysander's hand and pressed the wrist to his lips, over the scar that had slightly faded by now. "That was a moment that broke you, that shattered all you knew and all that you were, and all that you could do to survive was to shut yourself away, then go away to be able to heal. Regardless of who and what you are now, that is a scar left deep on your soul, and it will take many years to erase." Hugging him again, he dotted Lysander's shoulder with soft kisses. "And I will be there for you for it all."

Looking a little more settled, Lysander smiled and turned a little to give him a kiss, feeling much better. "Thanks, love. I know you always say it, and I know it's true, but... Some days I need to hear it again." Nibbling on his neck made him giggle, and a sudden grope between his legs made him gasp. There was a firmness pressed up against him that gave him an idea of how Elliott planned to ensure that he felt himself again. "Well, I guess that the shower will wait a bit?"

"It will wait until you decide that you have had enough." Elliott growled playfully with another neck-nibble, and grinned when Lysander grabbed his wrist and dragged him back to the bedroom. Sometimes his husband was refreshingly simple to cheer up, and he was quite happy to provide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	10. 10 September- Warrior of Light... And Salt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 10th Prompt: Your character on a battlefield.
> 
> Short summary: Git gud, scrub :3
> 
> (Headcanon mains: Lys = ROG/NIN-RDM-DNC as the classes unlocked, Elliott = SCH, Abigail = DRK, Sebastian = BLM, Sam = BRD, Maru = MCH, and Penny = WHM :P)

Lysander grinned and stepped over the body of a fallen enemy, moving in to attack the next one. He swore as a spear dug into his side, causing surprisingly less damage than I should. "Shit, I'm getting hit," he called out, unintentionally rhyming, and sighed with relief when Elliott dropped a heal on him and erased what had been done. "Thanks, love, Sorry!" Smiling and chuckling, Elliott continued to provide healing support for his allies, until all enemies were defeated and the danger over. This took some time, and by the end of it both Lysander and Elliott were somewhat tired, but thankfully not exhausted. "Man, that was a rough one. Lost count of how many times I nearly died there."

Nodding agreement, Elliott pushed away from his laptop to stretch his arms over his head. "Agreed. Thankfully I'm geared and skilled enough to compensate for an incompetent tank."

"Yeah, but still, healers shouldn't have to adjust, even if you are the tank," Lysander huffed, "...says the DPS class..." He reached for his coffee and saw a Chatter message from Abby pop up.

**PurpleGoth:** hey d00ds, sorry, I had to take a test. Online classes are more flexible than on-campus ones but I still have to do stuff during normal-people hours XD

**SixStrings:** wish we'd have had you there for this last dungeon run, effing tank couldn't hold threat for shit even with stance on

**PurpleGoth:** it's your fault for not waiting a few extra minutes for me to finish :D

**SixStrings:** we did, then figured we could run something and be done before you would be. Oh look, we were right :P

**PurpleGoth:** meh, you lived, Elliott's a great healer. Well, I'm free now, wanna get the others and do a fast raid or something?

Looking over at Elliott, who had got up to go use the restroom, Lysander reclined in his chair, turned away from his own laptop. "Abby's up for a big run now that she's done with her test. You in the mood to heal all of our dumb asses?"

Elliott chuckled warmly and leaned over to kiss the other man, caressing his cheek as he pulled away. "Of course, my dear, you know I love that power over all of you. Your lives in my hands, keeping you full and satisfied or leaving you hanging on the ragged edge and begging me for...succor..." He grinned as he straightened and went back to his own laptop to pick up his coffee mug, having retrieved Lyander's already. "Care for another cup?"

"Yeah, thanks, I'll message everyone to get online and add them to the group. You know..." Laughing, he moved his chair to sit in front of his system again. "It never fails to be hilarious that you're so proper and almost demure in public, and are such a dominant hedonist in the bedroom. Just... I love it. Fucking hot."

Elliott snapped his fingers, remembering something, and smiled as he grabbed his mug. "That reminds me, I was doing some cleaning in storage earlier and I found a riding crop, still in good condition. I just need to clean it up a little bit and it could be very useful..."

The look that Lysander gave him was both curious but suspicious. "...I honestly don't know if you're messing with me or if you did find one, but at this point you better follow through with that promise."

There was an amused laugh from the kitchen. "And you love this sort of power play, dearest, you're welcome."

Giggling in response, Lysander sent out "hey you!" messages to the rest of their friends who played, and thanked Elliott for the caffeinated refill when the other man returned. "Ooh, and that reminds me, I found a mod to glam over one of my weapons to be a riding crop." Elliott almost spilled his coffee laughing and Lysander grinned as he changed classes to show it off, then began sending out invites as their friends logged on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	11. 11 September- Lofty Ambitions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 11th Prompt: Your character is in a room they would never be in normally.
> 
> Once more, no warnings, and not much to say, just Lys being A Good Person. I'll have the action and drama again soon once I find the right prompt for it. :3

The day was warm and clear, and the pantry needed restocking with a few things for the next couple of meals, so Lysander took the shopping bags and went for a walk. He had considered taking Morgenlied to get everything, but it wasn't so big or far a grocery run that he'd really need the motorcycle, and he wanted the walk anyway. He strolled in no particular hurry, the bag handles over his wrist and his hands in his pockets, whistling to himself, and had passed the medical clinic when he noticed someone struggling to juggle some groceries as they stepped out of the general store just a little farther down. Instinctively, Lysander broke into a run and caught a bag before it could be dropped. "Whoo! Got it, you okay?"

Now able to take care of his other two bags, the other person caught their balance and offered a surprised smile. "Ah, thank you, Lysander, that nearly went very badly." The local physician, Harvey, adjusted his grip on his bags and gestured to take back the third. "Here, I can take it again, I just lost my balance going out the door."

Lysander didn't know him nearly as well as he did many of the other residents of the town, but it was less due to animosity and more that their paths never crossed due to them both being continually busy elsewhere. "Nah, I'll hold it for you, I've got it. Better than possibly dumping it just as you get there, right? You've still got another door or two to mess with, and I'm not pressed for time."

"Ah, well, thank you again. Um, this way, then." Thankfully, there were no further incidents, and Lysander offered to take another bag so that Harvey could fish out the keys from his pocket and unlock the door.

"Wow, bit of a grocery run," Lysander quipped, ducking inside and waiting for Harvey to close the door, "nearly cleared out the fridge recently?" The keys went back into his pocket, and Harvey pushed open the double doors in back that led to stairs going up, apparently to his apartment above. The musician had been aware that this was where Harvey lived, but knew nothing about it, and remarked on it. "It's not a bother for you, is it? I mean, it's gotta be useful to be able to respond to medical incidents immediately, but knowing that you could be called at any time must be a bother."

The bushy mustache bristled with amusement as Harvey opened the door to the apartment. "Well, it worked in your favor before, right? I don't think that you can complain." Lysander blushed and tried to duck behind the bags in his arms, but the doctor laughed and beckoned him inside. "It's alright, I'm not mad about it, that is why I chose to set up my practice in a small town like this and live so close. And I wasn't called in for a mild case of the sniffles, Elliott rightly diagnosed you with something severe and made the right call to... Well, make the call. I'd be annoyed if I kept getting called at all hours for, well, silly buggers as it were, but surprisingly I've had very few calls outside of business hours." He put down the bag on the table near the kitchen and cleared his throat. "Ah, pardon me, I shouldn't gossip, and I can't breach patient confidentiality."

"No worries at all, I respect all of that," Lysander chuckled, carefully setting down his own burdens, "but I am glad to hear that things are going well. Y'know, even if we never say much. I think I last saw you was for, what, my last checkup?" He chuckled again, this time weakly, rubbing the back of his neck, and looked around the apartment as if he were just noticing it. "Hunh, feels weird to be up here, though, almost like I'm intruding. Dunno why, just, it does."

"Well, this is the first time we've conversed as neighbors instead of doctor and patient, so that does make sense." Noticing a radio and some other communications equipment near the window, Lysander had to resist the urge to go investigate. Harvey saw the spark of interest and nodded. "I'm a radio enthusiast. I always wanted to be a pilot but I'm not good with heights and..." He tapped his glasses and sighed deeply. "Even with correction my base eyesight is just too poor. As such I spend my spare time communicating with pilots in the area and talking with other ham operators." He cleared his throat again and straightened his jacket. "Anyway, sorry for the tangent, thanks for your help, Lysander."

"Not a worry, and no worries at all, that's kinda cool. How does that work, anyway? I took some basic electrical engineering courses and the like, and I know how radio and sound waves work and stuff, but I've never had the chance to learn anything about this kind of thing."

Harvey practically beamed as he strode over to the desk with all of his equipment, pulling up a second chair. "If you've got a few minutes I can show you the basics. There's usually a plane or two in the air this time of day since there's a flight school that has a path over the town." Agreeing heartily, Lysander sent a quick text to Elliott to let him know of his delay, and sat down to listen with fascination. They talked and tinkered for over an hour, at which point Harvey realized that he had things that needed to go into the refrigerator, and Lysander had his own shopping to finish. Thanking each other for both assistance and interest, Lysander resumed his journey to the store, feeling great that not only had he been of help to someone else, but he got to learn something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	12. 12 September- Out on a Limb, One Gets Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 12th Prompt: Character 1 is about to do something stupid. Character 2 does not think this is a good idea.
> 
> A flash back to Lys's early history! At one point in book 1 he and an old friend catch up, and a couple of events are referenced. This is one of them that finally gets its story told. :D

Lysander sat under one of the many trees on his grandfather's farm, munching on a sandwich and enjoying the summer afternoon. He hadn't been there in a while, but since school was out for the summer and both of his parents had a week or two to spare since all of their own students were off on vacation they were able to get out of the city for a few days. His best friend had come with him, as he'd never been there before, and had seemed quite excited to go someplace new. It was also the week after Lysander's tenth birthday, so the copper-haired boy was still feeling euphoric about the double-digit milestone, and nearly bounced in place as he ate the last of his snack, wiping his fingers off on a handkerchief. "Well, what'cha wanna do next?" he asked, and giggled when Allen unsuccessfully tried to answer through a mouthful of peanut butter.

The other boy took a long drink from his thermos, wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and adjusted his glasses. "I dunno, what is there to do?"

About to answer confidently, Lysander wrinkled his nose and sprawled on his back in the sunshine. "I dunno. I usually read or play guitar or video games, I don't play much at places like this." He stared at the sky through the leaves of the tree and a grin split his face. "Oh! I bet the view from up there is amazing! C'mon, let's have a look!"

He scrambled to his feet and grabbed a branch a bit above his head, swinging his legs for momentum to pull himself up. With a look of horror, Allen stumbled as he got up as well. "That's dangerous! Lys, noooo!"

"Lys yessss!" replied the copper-haired boy, already getting a grip on his next handhold, "this'll be great, there aren't trees like this back home, I gotta do it once."

"But you might fall!"

"I might not! I've had a few spills before, I'll be fine." Lysander confidently scaled the massive tree while Allen whimpered below, not courageous enough to follow but not wanting to ruin his friend's fun, either. It came crashing down, as it were, when Lysander put his weight on a branch that couldn't quite support it, which snapped off under him. Not expecting this, he was thus not expecting the place he was trying to grab to be not where it was. Hissing through his teeth he tried to shift his weight and grab onto something solid, but there was nothing to push off of. He grunted when he bounced off of a sturdy branch a few feet below, knocking him just silly enough to not orient himself properly for the rest of the fall.

...

He recalled hitting the ground, but after that there were a few seconds that he didn't remember at all, and the next few minutes were fuzzy. Allen was in a panic and had begun shouting for the Morgensonnes to come help, and Lysander tried to sigh and tell him to calm down, it was _fine_. He couldn't, though, as the wind had been knocked out of him, and he stared at his arm that now bent in a second direction. It wasn't supposed to do that, how-

Lynn and Arthur were there in seconds, followed by Lex, and they took in the scene in a moment. Lynn went to one side to steady her son while Arthur made a couple of quick mental calculations before setting the broken arm in one go. Lex had run off, but returned immediately, holding some sturdy strips of cloth, sitting down next to Arthur to make a splint with them and the fallen branch.

Allen had hardly moved and was in tears, trying not to get in the way, but promptly burst out sobbing when Lynn hugged him supportively. "He's gonna die, isn't he? I told him not to but he did anyway and he broke everything and my best friend is gonna die and it's all my fault!!"

To her credit, Lynn did _not _laugh at this, instead hugging him more tightly and kissing the top of his head. "Oh, sweetie, no, he's going to be fine. He's going to need a cast for a bit but he'll heal up good as new soon." Sniffing, Allen didn't quite seem to believe this, but she was a grownup and they knew things, and if she said it would be fine then it would be fine.

Arthur and Lex had finished the hasty splint, and nodded to Lynn, who stood and brought Allen with her to the car, opening all of the doors and buckling him in to the front seat before running back into the house to get her purse. Lex and Arthur carried a rather stunned and concussed Lysander to the car between them, carefully getting in so that he could lay across the both of them. In less than five minutes after he had fallen he was being spirited off to the nearest hospital, still surprised and a little confused, mostly due to him going into shock, which Lex and Arthur were mitigating by elevating his feet and keeping a cold, damp cloth on his forehead that Lynn had picked up along with her purse.

Still feeling as though the whole thing was his fault and it would end badly, Allen swung his legs with his head bowed, sitting outside the room in which Lysander was being examined, flanked by Lynn and Lex. The older man patted his head and laughed. "Smile, Allen, it's fine! You're both young and resilient, and this isn't his first broken bone. And it isn't your fault," he soothed, with a firm squeeze on his shoulder, "Lys is impulsive and crazy and that's why he's so much fun, right?" This reassured Allen further, but he still wore a look of doubt until Arthur and his friend emerged from the examination room.

Lysander was slightly disheveled and still looking a little confused, but in good spirits, with one arm in a cast and his other hand holding the stick that had braced his arm. He rested it against his shoulder and grinned at Allen. "Hey, check it out, the tree broke me but we used it to fix me up after. Karma, right?" He grunted again when Allen threw himself at his friend, face buried in Lysander's chest. With one busted arm and the other hand full he tried to hug his friend, finding it difficult to do so without accidentally bonking him. Arthur ruffled his son's hair, looking relieved and turned to the nurse that had applied the cast. The two of them conversed for a moment as Arthur took some paperwork, scanning it quickly and nodding. Lysander turned his smile to them and shrugged. "Thanks, and sorry about that, looks like Allen was right after all. Oops."

The nurse made a couple of notes on his clipboard. "Well, as I said earlier, it's a clean break, and your dad did a fine job of setting it. Normally that's discouraged, but out where you were there weren't any other options. You know how to take care of it, and Arthur has the printouts just in case you forget." He patted Lysander on the shoulder and nodded to the assembled group. "We'll see him back here in a few weeks to see how it's healing."

"Whoo! I bet I'm gonna have a great scar from this!"

This got a chuckle from the nurse. "Sorry, no, you got a bit bruised up on the way down, but breaks don't leave any scars."

The look of irritated disappointment on his face finally got a laugh out of Allen, especially when the injured boy suddenly had to keep himself from swearing in front of so many adults. "Well... Damn! Someday I'll have really badass scars!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	13. 13 September- Accidentally Shared Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 13th Prompt: Your character(s) see something they shouldn't have.
> 
> Funny enough, the longest part of this prompt wasn't writing it, it was going back through my fic files to make sure I wouldn't fuck up the continuity. How's that for dedication? And considering all three "books" combines are nearly half a million words, that's a LOT of stuff to comb through. @_@

Lysander dismounted from his motorcycle in front of his friend's house and knocked on the front door, returning to his bike to retrieve the order of herbs that Jodi had requested. His timing was perfect, as she opened the door just as he got back to it, his arms full with the box containing her purchase. "Oh! Lysander, you got here quickly. Come on in, I cleared a space on the counter like _just_ a minute ago." Stepping inside, he paused a moment for her to shut the door, then followed to the kitchen. He knew the way, but it still felt a bit weird to have the walk of the place as it were, with Vincent out being tutored by Penny and Sam at work at Joja Mart. It wasn't like he was intruding or anything, he just didn't know her nearly as well as he did Sam, and as such he didn't want to appear _too_ "at home" just yet. Besides, she had appeared to be a little red-eyed when she had let him in, which gave him pause, but she did cook with fresh ingredients and she'd likely been chopping up onions. Yuck! That was one task he _always_ left to Elliott!

There was a spot cleared, as she had said, and he nudged aside a letter that was in the way, accidentally knocking it off. He put down the box quickly and reflexively grabbed for it, even knowing that it was paper, it wasn't going to break. Still, force of habit and all that. He smoothed out an edge that had gotten crumpled and was about to put it down when a couple of words caught his eye, as did the letterhead at the top. Without thinking about it he hastily read the letter, and winced visibly as he closed his eyes and blindly handed it back to Jodi. "Crap, sorry! I didn't mean to read it, I just.... Sorry..." So she had been crying, and not from onions, either. He expected to be scolded but was surprised when she hesitated in taking back the missive. "...Hey, are you okay?" It wasn't any of his business, it really wasn't, but she was his best friend's mom, and the only one in the entire town with a member of the military serving. Not responding immediately, she put the letter back on the counter, biting her lip, clearly trying to hold back tears again, especially in front of a guest. It wasn't his place or his business, but still, now that he knew it would be wrong of him to _not_ do something. He opened his arms in a silent invitation, and after another moment of hesitation, Jodi accepted the hug, shoulders shaking silently from restrained sobs.

He was one of the tallest people in town, and even though he was only a bit older than her son, it felt weird to be offering some sort of solace like this. But then, who could she go to? Nobody would turn her away, no, and the residents of Pelican Town weren't given to gossip and cliques, but even then, her situation was somewhat unique. "...So he's been found? They just told you today, then?"

Nodding, she took a deep breath and sniffed, still, holding onto him. "...Yes. I hadn't heard any news from him for months, but I thought it was just...what do they call it... OPSEC, Operational Security, he couldn't write because of where he was or what he was doing. I... I had no idea how true that was... Just now, they..." She had to take a moment to compose herself again before continuing. "One of the men in his unit that had survived the attack brought the letter. He had been taken prisoner so the rest of them could escape, they only now could tell me because they found out where he'd been taken." Lysander swore softly under his breath, but otherwise kept his silence. "We talked for... A while, he left about ten minutes ago. I'm glad that he's safe, and they're arranging to get him released but... But... _WHY?!_" He almost jumped at her outburst. "Why couldn't they tell me sooner? Something, _anything?!_ I'm his wife, damn it! Months of nothing, being told by the unit admins that it was all confidential and they couldn't tell me what was going on when he was being held captive by the enemy and none of us knew if he was dead or alive or..." Pounding a fist on his chest, she vented the pent-up anger she'd held onto for quite some time. "I know, deep down that they were right, I _know_. I hate it but I know why. But that doesn't make it hurt less, and telling me that he'd been captured but didn't know if he was dead or alive would have been worse when it happened. I know. But... But still... I... Yoba, I'm such a fucking _mess_." Her eyes almost bulged at the spontaneous profanity, as well as her physical outburst, but Lysander smiled warmly and hugged her firmly.

"It's okay. I understand. All of it. I mean, I can't truly understand, I don't have any family in the military, and to be honest, I don't know a damn thing about the war right now. But what I do know is you're the hardest-working person in town. You're a single mom right now with two kids- Okay, Vincent is a kid, but Sam, well, he acts enough like one! But you're raising them and maintaining a household all by yourself, a big house, too, and the person who means the most in your life is off fighting a war somewhere in another part of the world. You wake up every morning never knowing if you'll not hear anything, or if you do, if it's the worst possible thing ever or if he'll be home the next day." He sighed and almost sagged. "It's tough being strong, especially by yourself, and when you have a secret to keep. It eats at you, and after a while you feel awful because while you have to keep it secret, you hate having to, and you feel like you're lying to or betraying the people you love. I... I can't say it'll be okay, I've got no right to and I don't know a damn thing about anything. But...for what it's worth, you're not alone, not completely. I don't know who you talk to and how often, but this is a good town full of good people."

She nodded again, still relying on him for support. "I can't tell Sam or Vincent yet, not yet. It'll tear them up to know that their father is... I'll tell them the truth someday, but until I know more, I don't want to scare them or... Or...."

"False hope," Lysander supplied, knowing what she was thinking, "it's all too easy for this to go smoothly now but to have it all go to pieces near the end and the worst outcome happens. It's okay, I'm not gonna tell anyone, this is your secret to keep and it was wrong of me to look at that letter, even by accident. ...Heh, well, I guess that means that you've found someone to share the burden with, yeah?"

Halfway between a sob and a laugh, Jodi made a strange noise, but nodded once more, hugged him, and stepped back, sniffing and reaching for a paper towel to dry her eyes and blow her nose. "Thanks so much, Lysander, I'm sorry to get all weepy and swear-y with you, but..."

"It's okay, I just hope I helped more than I hurt. And I mean it, I'm keeping this a secret as well. Sam is a great person but it's really easy for things that are out of his control to weigh heavily on his mind. News like this would make him happy for a bit, but he'd start worrying really badly in just a day or two. And Vincent... He's old enough to understand, but he shouldn't be forced to endure this as well, not just yet."

Jodi had moistened a dish towel and wiped her face, taking another deep breath and looking much better. "Thanks again, Lysander, it's weird, but I'm feeling a _lot_ better."

With a chuckle, Lysander shrugged and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. "I get that. Sometimes I just need to rage and cry for a few minutes and then I'm good to go again. Bottling it up just makes you a mess later." He gestured to the box and smiled. "Well, at the least, all of this is fresh and ready to go, so I'll head off now so you can finish what you were doing."

"They look great, you're doing such an amazing job." She caught sight of her reflection in a mirror as she escorted him to the door. "Oh, damn, I'm all puffy and red from crying."

"Onions," he helpfully replied, earning an odd look, "you were cutting onions a bit ago. They _always _make me cry for, like, an hour."

Seeing the opening for an excuse she laughed, agreeing with him. "They do, but they add such good flavor."

Lysander put his helmet on, started his bike, took it off of the kickstand, and headed back home to help Elliott make lunch, which hopefully would not contain onions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	14. 14 September- In Vino Veritas, In Beer Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 14th Prompt: Someone gets drunk.
> 
> After all of that slice of life fluff and a couple of downers, it's time for some proper shitposting again. :D  
Some naughty language and innuendo, but nothing explicit, just friends talking, as they do

After their most recent practice session The Elements of Sound packed up, cleaned up, and headed over to the saloon for a couple of drinks and a snack to unwind. Alex and Haley opted out, as Alex had Gridball practice the next day and wanted sleep, and Haley had been up way too late with some new photo stuff and just wanted sleep. As such, it was just Lysander, Elliott, Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian making the trek to their local drinking spot, and Sebastian and Elliott shared a quick glance of understanding that it would be up to them to keep Lysander and Sam from being _too_ enthusiastic that evening.

Beers were ordered, as well as pizza (pepperoni, which Lysander liked, and combo, which Sam liked, and neither liked the other), and they settled into the first round happily, going over the results of practice and what they thought of it, as well as the new song they were working on. The lyrics felt solid, and the melody had a good sound, but something in the support, either Sebastian's synth or Lysander's bass needed something...more. Or different. They weren't sure yet. The synth player had a notepad and was scribbling on it with one hand, his beer mug in the other, tapping the pencil against the paper while he thought and listened to their input and offered his own. As such, the first pitcher emptied very quickly, and Lysander got up to get a second one. It was at this point that things went from functional to dysfunctional and hilariously so.

He downed his third glass and waited for everyone else to get refills before getting a fourth, as Elliott and Sebastian got up to collect the pizzas that were now ready. "Whoo, these are good, but I'll hafta tap out before too many if I wanna get laid tonight," he giggled, getting a cackle from Abigail and a snicker from Sam.

"What, you're gonna be too uncoordinated to bang? You can just lay there while he does you, y'know," sassed his friend.

Lysander's grin was cheeky as he ran a finger around the rim of his mug. "Well, I could do, but it's that first, good luck getting it up at all, 'cause even though I'd be horny as fuck all that blood flow just isn't flowing, well, as hard. Second, good luck getting off, either, 'cause I'd be so mellow that I'd be riding that edge forever but never actually cross over, I'd just fall off. I mean, have you ever tried to have a solid wank when you're totally buzzed? There's a good chance your hand will fly off and hit you in the face."

Abigail was laughing uproariously at this while Sam giggled and almost spilled his drink. The drummer held her mug in both hands and tried to catch her breath. "So even if Elliott were to do all the work while sober you'd just be blue balling the whole night?"

"Pretty damn much. Thankfully I'm not one for one-nighters so I never used to go to a bar and pick up anyone after I'd had drinks, but a couple of times when I was actively dating someone and got totally lit it was just... Ugh. I never got sick or anything while we tried, but I was just pushing rope and jerking it until I chafed and got nothing from it."

"Bet you also got a hand cramp and a sprain in your elbow," she snarked, making the motion in question, and Lysander blew a raspberry at her.

"That's another thing, how many people have no idea how to give a decent handy. I can understand females not being that good at the beginning, but the number of guys who gave sub-par attention were a genuine surprise. It's like, you've had so much practice on yourself, how can you not do it right for someone else? And don't get me started on oral. Dear gods, I'd probably make crazy bank if I gave classes on how to properly satisfy a partner."

Elliott and Sebastian returned at this moment, having missed the entire conversation. "Sorry, love, say again?"

Abigail giggled loudly. "He was telling us about the important of decent BJs and handjobs."

This made them both sigh, but Elliott shook his head and smiled while Sebastian rolled his eyes. The blonde man sat down next to his husband and kissed his cheek. "You are a handsome nuisance, my dear, and I think that we shall have to escort Sam to his home for his own safety after we finish here."

"I promise that there will be no kissies this time," Sam piped up, squeaking softly from a sudden case of hiccups, "I'm not a homewrecker."

"There'll be no kisses because you don't do it as well as Elliott does," riposted Lysander, clinging to and hanging off of Elliott with a smirk, "you've heard this man talk and sing, he's got a silver tongue, and oh, the _other_ things it can do too." He purred and nuzzled his husband's neck, enjoying the chuckle he got from it while an arm was slipped around his waist.

Once more rolling his eyes, Sebastian took a slice of combo pizza and topped off his beer. "And that's a subject about which I will blissfully remain ignorant."

"But Sebby, he's offering 'classes on oral,' aren't you the least bit interested in knowing how to _really_ do it for me? Or me learning something obscure and sexy?"

The man in question almost overpoured his drink as he let this query linger thoughtfully for a few extra seconds, then hid a blush by carefully sipping the excess off of the top so he could safely pick up his mug. "He can do a video tutorial then. At least I'd be able to mute him."

"That's why I'd be showing her what to do on a prosthetic device," Lysander giggled, wearing a grin that bisected his face and making a relevant gesture, "my mouth would be too full for me to talk too much. Also, much as I'd love to demonstrate to her on you, I'm married, and I'd hate to ruin blowjobs for you in the future 'cause nobody else does 'em as well as I do."

Sam's hiccups got even worse, and he had to put down his pizza so as not to choke on it. Elliott sighed again and gave Lysander a hug and ruffled his hair, taking a slice of pizza for himself. "Fill your mouth with something else for now, so you can have room for something else later." There was a quirk to the corner of his lips that made Lysander and Abigail burst out laughing, and left Sam wheezing.

Thankfully, they had also brought over a pitcher of ice water, so a glass was poured so Sam could finally cure his hiccups, and after a glass or two he looked better, and a bit more sober. "Man, this isn't quite the glamorous rock star lifestyle I dreamed of, but y'know what, I think I like this better." There was more merriment and silliness for the next hour or so, but less with slightly more family-friendly content. Elliott made sure that everyone remained hydrated, and when they left ensured that Sam got home safely while Sebastian and Abigail went north to their respective homes.

Much later than that, the last two musicians entered their home at Sommerlied Farm. Lysander stretched his arms over his head, yawning broadly, then gasped when Elliott hugged him from behind, sliding one hand up his shirt and the other down the front of his trousers. "Like I said earlier, I intend to fill your mouth. On your knees, my love." Shivering with anticipation as his ear was nibbled, Lysander pressed back against the other man, already feeling the bulge in those trousers, and was very, _very_ glad that he had someone who had needed very little instruction in his techniques.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	15. 15 September- Sharing is Caring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 15th Prompt: Your character tries to hide something from another character (can be an object, a secret, etc.).
> 
> Any time Xander shows up the only question you have to ask is whether the incident in question actually happened, or if it was inspired by something similar. Damn it, cat. :P

Flopped on the couch, Lysander read a book on his tablet while nibbling from a mixed tray of snacking meats and cheeses. On the other end of the furniture sat Elliott, giving the other man a foot rub while he also read on his tablet and dipped into the tray. They were enjoying a nice afternoon at home on a rainy day, dressed warmly in comfortable clothes, and overall simply felt good.

As Lysander took another piece of cheese there was a _thud _as Xander hopped onto the sofa from behind, giving his human owners a curious look. "Hey fuzzy buddy," Lysander greeted, "glad you didn't go out in the rain, I don't feel like cleaning up muddy- Oy! Excuse you!"

Xander had noticed the bit of cheese in Lysander's hand and had promptly walked across his shoulders and almost down his arm, purring loudly. Despite the man's attempt to hold it out of range Xander trilled and swatted at his hand, demanding the dairy-based treat. Elliott put down his tablet to watch, smothering a chuckle. "Would you like help?"

"No, I've got- You cheeky shit!" Xander had walked back to the back of the couch, and once Lysander had laid back down promptly trotted across his chest to again make an attempt for the cheese. "Ask nicely, you- Ack! Pff! Cat butt!"

Laughing at the other man's predicament, Elliott took a small corner of cheese and made a kissy noise to get the cat's attention. Once again Lysander got a face full of furry pucker as Xander pivoted and went to Elliott, successively stepping on the ginger man's groin with three out of four paws. Purring almost as loudly as Lysander was swearing Xander stood on Elliott, eating the offered cheese happily. This should have been the end of it, but the clever feline finally noticed the source of the food and vaulted off to land on the coffee table. Before Xander could stick his nose into the tray Lysander was able to put the lid on it, but instead of sulking or leaving, the cat curled up on the lid and gave his humans a squint of satisfaction.

Struck silent at first with surprise, they laughed and shared an amused glance. "Well played, Lysander sighed, "snack time stalemate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	16. 16 September- His First Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 16th Prompt: Write about a first for your character.
> 
> Once more we reference past events and get a bit more depth into them. Just fluff, because I want some happy fuzzies, damn it. :D

While Lysander did some tuning and cleaning on his grandfather's guitar, Harmony, Elliott sipped his coffee, sitting on the other side of the table and checking the news on his tablet. As he watched his husband tinker, he hummed to himself as he thought about something. "You know, I remember that photo of you and your grandfather when you were young, but I never asked, when _did_ you begin to learn to play?"

Looking up with surprise, Lysander stared at the ceiling, tapping his chin and frowning. "It was a couple of years after that pic, actually. I'd been kinda interested in picking it up for ages, since dad's a teacher and it was so cool watching him and grandpa play together. I wanna say... Yeah, I was eight. Summer vacation had just started, so dad wasn't as busy with teaching, and we had time to visit grandpa. So dad brought his guitar with him like usual, and that's when they started trying to give me lessons. The hardest part, funny enough, was that I was still a skinny little thing, though tall for my age." He held a hand over the top of his head and grinned, indicating that it was something that stuck with him the rest of his life. "I was really trying to hold the guitar correctly, but my hands weren't _quite _large enough to cover the frets properly, and even being tall meant that I was almost over-stretching to both hold down the strings and pluck them. Still, I gave it a go, and my fingers hurt at the end of the day, but I felt good."

Setting the guitar to the side, he folded his arms on the table, staring at the instrument with fondness. "I began saving money for my own guitar the very next day. I practiced with the both of them as I could, when any of us had the time, and I remember wishing I could grow faster so I could properly hold the instrument. Then after a year I had enough money saved up, and I'd had my eye on a particular guitar that I'd done some research on."

"Resonance," Elliott supplied, and saw the way that the smile touched Lysander's eyes when he nodded.

"Yeah. Mom and dad and grandpa and I went down to the music shop and they had it in stock, that one I'd wanted. Just to be sure, I asked to play it a bit, to see if it had the right fit and sound, and..." He paused to sniff and scrub the back of his hand across his eyes. "Heh, sorry. But... It fit. The sound, the feel, the _resonance_, it was just right. It gave me its name right there. I was so excited I nearly forgot to make sure I had everything, and had enough left over to pick up a strap and a pick." Another smile swept across his face as he thumbed the plastic pick on a bit of waxed cord, hanging around his neck just under the carved shell-pick with which Elliott had proposed. "This one. I used it for years. These ones are the ones that dad and grandpa got for me, just in case." He held out his wrists, showing the other two in green and blue respectively, the center piece of cobra-stitched bracelets in the same material as his pendants. "I know I mentioned that before, but not exactly how or why. It wasn't until grandpa passed that I turned all three into jewelry, I had always kept them all in my case together. Once he was gone, though... I dunno, it sounds weird, but I wanted something to remember that moment by, and got a friend to help me make these."

Reaching across the table, Elliott squeezed the other man's hand, smiling warmly. "That is a wonderful memory, dearest, and it brings me so much joy that you recall it with such clarity and happiness. Further, that is a lovely way to remember your grandfather's memory. Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Heh, you asked. And..." Sighing, he ran a finger over the guitar, looking wistful. "I was absolutely baffled that grandpa had willed Harmony to me. I had really thought that it would have gone to dad, but... Thinking about it now, years after, it makes sense. That was my first instrument. I already had Resonance, but I think he..." He pulled Elliott's hand to his lips, kissing his fingers. "I think he wanted me to be able to share that music and love with someone, too. A friend, a lover, someone who meant as much to me as dad and grandpa do. Someone who could understand and share the same love for music that I had."

"And you have, dearest, thank you for sharing your music with me, for showing me the most important thing in your life."

Lysander smiled again, sniffing once more, then nodded to Harmony. "It's tuned and ready to go again. Head out to the porch and play a bit together? I think you're ready to play and sing at the same time." Elliott nearly beamed, standing up and pulling his husband to his feet, hugging and kissing him firmly, releasing him only to let him retrieve Resonance from its case. With reverence, Elliott picked up Harmony and went outside, finding a nice spot in the sun on the porch, getting his form correct and giving a few experimental plucks of the strings. Joining him a moment later, Lysander plucked all six strings to find that Resonance was still in tune, relaxed against one of the support awnings, and smiled again. "Don't worry about getting it right, just get comfortable doing it. I'll start off and do support, you take the melody." Two voices and two instruments sang together in the late afternoon sunshine, resonating and harmonizing with each other, as if they'd been doing it for many years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	17. 17 September- Restless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 17th Prompt: Your character can’t sleep.
> 
> This one is just straight-up SMUT this time around. It's about damn time, to be honest. Enjoy some happy pr0n, my dudes. :3

While Elliott slept next to him, Lysander sighed again and stared at the ceiling. He'd tossed and turned the last half an hour and wasn't terribly tired just yet, and it was bothering him. Nothing in particular, and no reason why, Just...couldn't sleep. Rolling over, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, then frowned. He wasn't hungry and didn't need a snack, and on the other end of it, didn't need to use the restroom, either. Sitting down again, he heard Elliott roll over and make a noise of curiosity. "Sorry, having a hard time sleeping, didn't mean to wake you."

Propping himself up on his elbows, Elliott blinked away sleep and gave the other man a concerned look. "Is anything wrong, dearest?"

"Nah, just... Can't sleep, dunno." He flopped on his back and shrugged, his arms above his head as he sprawled out. "Not feeling bad, just can't doze off. I guess I need to wear myself out or something, maybe-" He was cut off by warm, soft lips against his, and shivered at that familiar touch caressing him all over. 

"Then allow me to assist in wearing you out," Elliott purred, grinding up against him, "alas, I did not take you tonight, so that is likely the source of your frustrations."

"Heh, possibly, I do have that drive still, I just feel a bit needy asking you to- Ahh!" He was interrupted when those lips, as well as a skilled tongue, began orally pleasuring him. One hand dug into the sheet while the other laced into Elliott's hair. "...Fuck, you're good at this... Nobody has ever made me as hard as you do, or as fast." Chuckling, Elliott continued his work without comment, stimulating him to full hardness. After several minutes of this, encouraged by deep, breathy moans, Lysander sat up a little. "I... Fuck, I hate being needy, but..."

"But what?" asked Elliott, pulling away to meet his eyes, smiling and continuing to stroke him.

"I..." Lysander licked his own lips and shivered again. "I need you. I want you, in you. I..."

Elliott got him to moan again by licking a finger and rubbing it against the tight pucker between his husband's legs. "Ah, how do you want me, then? It isn't needy, you have your needs and I am happy to satisfy them and you when I can. If I am unable then I will do what I can to accommodate." He moved up to kiss him again. "So tell me, how to you want me?"

"Lay back, I want to see you and hold you."

With another kiss, Elliott shifted to the side, one arm behind his head to be able to watch Lysander find the lube while he stroked himself as well. He was quite amused with how Lysander tried to remain composed, but the way he almost spilled the lube while applying it to himself and his fingers told of how badly he wanted him. It was Elliott's turn to moan when two fingers were inserted, rubbing up against his sweet spot while the other man ensured that he would be slick enough. They were removed quickly and Elliott felt pressure against the just-fingered hole where Lysander held back, almost ready to enter, almost asking permission. Another smile was all that he needed, and carefully he pushed inside, gasping at the warm tightness. Once he was completely in Elliott pulled him down for a deep, probing kiss. "Use me, dearest, take me as roughly as you need."

Slowly withdrawing and sliding back in at first, it took Lysander a minute to get his rhythm and be certain that he wasn't causing discomfort. However, Elliott's moans and firm hold on him were proof that he could be a bit more demanding. Soon he was thrusting hard and deeply, Elliott's legs wrapped around his waist and nails digging into his back, panting into his ear and demanding more. "I... I'm so close," Lysander moaned, "finish so I can, please..."

Elliott slid his hand between the both of them to grasp and stroke himself. "Then give it to me as hard as you can, hold nothing back." As commanded, Lysander gave the last of his energy, holding him tightly as he shifted his angle just a bit to hit that sweet spot again, and was rewarded with a change in the pitch of Elliott's moans. Only moments later did he feel the telltale signs of Elliot's release, trying himself to hold back until the other man was completely done. But, the way Elliott got tighter around him, and how his free hand raked down his back while shouting his name... He held him even tighter as the wave of orgasm washed over him, reflexively bucking roughly into him as he spilled his entire load, and only withdrew with the aftershocks had finished and he was almost too soft to stay in anyway.

He flopped to the side, panting loudly, then rolled once more onto his back, floating on the tingling ecstasy, chuckling when Elliott reached across him for a tissue to wipe himself off. "...Wow... Goddamn, love, you're good."

"You did all the work," riposted the blonde man, giving him a kiss before sprawling out as well, "though I hope you don't think me rude for wanting to go back to sleep."

"Not. At. All. I woke you by accident, and you're amazing. ...I think I'll be able to sleep, too..."

Pulling the sheet back over them, Elliott curled up against him. "So the lesson is that I must ensure that you come at least once a night before you go to bed so that you can get proper rest."

"Oh darn, twist my arm why don't you," giggled the now-exhausted man, "and... Again, thanks, I needed that more than I had thought..." Once the both of them were comfortable again they went right to sleep, not waking until the next morning, and feeling _very_ refreshed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	18. 18 September- GTA: Pelican Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 18th Prompt: Someone throws a punch and your character gets hit instead of the intended target.
> 
> TMW you and your friends are playing games together and one of you accidentally murders half of the group. :P

Elliott got comfortable moving his character around while Lysander checked something in his own inventory, as he had just created his own character but his husband had been playing for some time before. "So, the general gist of this game, and series, is to steal cars, do crimes, and other such mischief."

"Pretty much," Lysander chuckled, watching Sam and Abigail run around them for no particular reason while Sebastian simply stood nearby, "apparently Sebastian and I have been playing a while, and sometimes together, but didn't realize it until recently when we began adding each other to all of our games and friends lists. And Sam and Abby have kinda wanted to play for a while but not alone, so when they heard we did that was enough to get them in. Gotta say, I'm pretty chuffed you want to play with us, this doesn't normally seem like your cup of tea, so to speak."

Shrugging, Elliott shifted the camera around to examine his character, looking pleased at how it had come out, especially since Lysander had fronted him some in-game money to pick up an outfit that matched his aesthetic. "Normally, no, but with the rest of you it sounds like a lot of fun. And this 'crew,' how does it work?"

"Sorta like a guild does in some other games, it lets us do more stuff together more easily than we would just running around without, and lets us unlock a few fun cosmetic things and stuff, I'll show you a bit later. Got the feel for the controls?"

"I do, they're intuitive enough- Oh dear, what now?"

His amused sigh directed his husband to notice Abigail and Sam running in circles around each other, trying to have a fistfight while not getting hit themselves. "They're just being weird, even if we accidentally kill each other we'll respawn nearby, and as long as we don't really make a mess of stuff we're not gonna get cops called- Oy! Fuckers!" As he was saying it both Sam and Abigail managed to completely miss each other and clocked Lysander, whose character staggered a moment. "Oh, bitches, you did _not_," he grinned, "time to catch some hands." With a couple of clicks he enabled brass knuckles and took a swing at each, only intending to hit once and not that hard, but his character _was_ a higher level and he had more strength, especially with the illegal weapon. As such, both of his friends went down in one hit, and the sound of police sirens began to get closer. "Aw shit, I didn't expect _that_," he laughed, rubbing his eyes, "I was just having a quick pop at you."

There was the odd sound of someone picking up and putting on a headset over their headphones, and Sebastian's character moved again. "Okay, got my coffee, are we ready- What the fuck, guys." He had arrived just in time to see both Abigail and Sam's characters despawn and respawn nearby, as well as the wanted level for them all. "Goddamnit, I go away for five minutes to take a leak and get a drink and you're already wanted for murder. GG, Lys."

Giggling too hard to reply at first, Lysander moved his character to his personal vehicle. "They started it, and I didn't think I'd clock them that hard! Crap, okay, get in, love, we'll all head over to my place to drop the heat and get ready to go do some heists, they're great for XP and money." The two Morgensonnes sped away while their friends followed in their own vehicles, with Sam and Abigail still laughing at "how hard we got rekt," and Elliott sipping his own drink and reclining since his character didn't need to control anything. "Well, I guess that that's a proper start to the game, yeah? Though it seems like I've got a _really_ bad habit of punching the daylights out of my friends, real world and in-game."

Sebastian sighed, but they could hear the amused smile in it. "I'm about to start calling a face-punch a 'Morgensonne Handshake' at this point."

The man in question laughed so hard he nearly crashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	19. 19 September- Double Kill!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 19th Prompt: Your Character has to make a life or death decision. Quickly.
> 
> Decided to be funny again, because it amuses me to swerve on one's expectations when presented with a prompt like this.

It was nearing the end of the raid and the boss was nearly down, but so was nearly half of the group. Still, Elliott seemed unperturbed as he kept the remaining people up and tried to bring back the ones who had fallen. Lysander had been successful in dodging all attacks so far and was feeling rather smug about it, sassing Abigail who was waiting her turn to get back up, provided the healers had enough mana and time. "It's called animation lock and shit happens," she huffed, though not actually as annoyed as she pretended to be, "and it was totally worth it to drop that one add before it ate Elliott. Funny how I saved _your_ husband."

"Oy, I was on the other side of the arena!"

"You're a ranged class!"

"I still have a max distance."

"Children, I love you both," Elliott chuckled, "no need to fight for my affection. Regardless, you're up next, Abby, just a moment."

Lysander giggled and continued to fight, bringing the boss down farther, and noticed that the final attack had charged all the way. Normally a melee class would take it, but both of them were down, so sod it, he liked the animation for his (current) class, anyway. Popping a few buffs and dodging one last attack, he hit the button and grinned. Then, he realized he hadn't calculated right and there was one last telegraph to dodge. Time slowed down for a moment as he did a few mental calculations, realizing that that attack would kill him if he didn't move. But, his would also kill the boss. Another fragment of a second passed as he considered moving and having to re-cast his attack, or stand and risk it. He grinned and remained in place. It would take him out, but he had started the cast with just enough time to get it off before. Besides, the repair bill wasn't that bad.

There were a couple of shouts on the lines of "move, dumbass!" over his headset, but he had made his choice. Sure enough, he had been right; the boss's attack killed him in one hit that did twice his health in damage. However, his cast had gone off as well, and it had done just enough to wipe out what was left of the enemy's health. He cackled with satisfaction as the victory music played. "Ha! Nailed it! Totally worth it."

Elliott sighed and shook his head, making it a point to get everyone else back up before him. "I almost needed that to get everyone back up, dear."

"But you didn't 'cause I'm amazing and know what I'm doing."

"None of the drops are for your class," Sebastian commented as he opened the loot chest, "still worth it?"

"...Yes. ...Damnit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	20. 20 September- One Last Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 20th Prompt: Your MC is sad. Another character comforts them.
> 
> Have some feels, because I'm in one of those moods and I'm going to get it all over you guys, too.

Lysander didn't respond immediately when someone knocked on his bedroom door, or when it was opened a little to admit the visitor. "Hey, Lys, it's me. ...I can't ask if you're doing okay, I know you're not. But, mind if I come in?" Allen saw the set of Lysander's shoulders as he curled up on the bed, back to the door. Most people would have taken it as a sign to go away, but he'd seen his friend like this before and knew that it was a man trying to hold himself together. Closing the door behind himself, Allen went over and sat on the bed, hands folded in his lap. "...If you don't want to talk, or me to, I don't mind, I know you just need someone _there_ sometimes." He saw a slight movement, a nod of understanding.

There was silence for a moment before Lysander sniffed. "...They're being so strong right now. Mom and dad. They hurt so much but they're still smiling when everyone is looking. And me... I'm not even able to do that. It's taking everything I can not to lose my damn mind." Allen put a hand on his friend's arm, squeezing softly. "It's like, grandpa is- was dad's dad. It should hurt him worse. So... So why am I such a fucked-up mess right now?"

More silence, then Allen leaned over to awkwardly hug the other man. "...Have you ever lost someone like this before? I remember that your grandma passed a long time ago, but..."

"But I was too young to really feel it. ...You're right, I think. He's... Grandpa's the first person I've lost like this and... And... Fuck..." Lysander curled up further on himself, hugging a pillow to his chest and burying his face in it. "...And I was there. He was...looking so sick and frail and it scared me. But he still smiled and..." Lysander's voice caught for a second as he tried to get out his story while he still could. "He had asked me to bring Harmony. He wanted to hear me play his song for him one last time. Not dad, me. Why me? I mean... I... He asked, and he was so peaceful after, but... I'm just his grandkid, why not dad?"

Allen sniffed back tears as well, squeezing him again. "Maybe... Maybe it's because you're his grandkid. His only one, and... You both bonded over that guitar, yeah? And then when you got Resonance? I guess... I dunno. That song of his, it's been a family song, right? I wonder..." He trailed off and wrinkled his nose, considering something. "Maybe hearing it one last time from the youngest generation was something to put him at peace? I guess?" Frowning, he sighed and sagged. "I dunno."

"No, that's..." Lysander's grip got a little less tight, but he still didn't move. "Dad looked happy, too, like, I expected him to be offended or something that grandpa asked me, but... Dad thanked me, too, and I just didn't know why, and I'm not sure, I think I still don't, and... And..." He finally moved, rolling over onto his back and pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "I just... We knew he was sick for a while, we knew it was coming. We all were able to prepare, but still... _STILL_..."

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Allen moved a little closer, a hand on his shoulder again. "You just got home, it's not even been two hours. I... I know it's stupid, but you've gotta feel the pain now or it'll be worse later. Scream or cry or sulk or something, whatever, but don't bottle it up. I'm here for you. I don't know what I can do, but if there is something, just tell me."

Once more Lysander was quiet, then he sat up stiffly and slowly. It took a minute again for him to move, and it was to just open his arms hesitantly, silently asking for a hug. Allen also recognized this and smiled a little. His friend had always been cuddly, and definitely needed physical comfort at this time. He shifted to move closer and wrap his arms around the other man's chest, then nearly gasped when Lysander wrapped around him, holding him tightly. "...Thank you..." It was a whisper so soft it could only be heard if one was listening for it, and Allen had been. He allowed himself a small, sad smile when he realized that even when it was his loss and pain, Lysander still held him protectively, as if he were trying to ease his pain and not his own. Lysander's entire frame shook from held-back sobs, then he gave in to his anguish. At some point he tried to apologize for crying all over Allen's shirt, but it was gently rebuffed, and he said nothing more for a while.

It was nearly an hour later when Lysander finally released his hold on his friend, and winced from the stiffness of having held him for so long like that. "I'm... I'm not better, but it's not worse. I just feel...exhausted, wiped out. Stupid as it sounds I just want to nap."

"...You want me here a bit? I can read or something if you don't want to be alone." Blowing his nose on a tissue, Lysander nodded, discarded it, and took another. Once a little more composed, he shrugged out of his coat and flopped on his side, face drawn in pain, but it didn't have the same strained lines as it did earlier. "Comfy? Ish?" Lysander nodded again and shifted the pillows for his and Allen's support, as the other man tucked himself into his friend's midriff, providing physical contact by letting him curl up around him like a cat. He thumbed through the nearest book he had grabbed, but recalled none of the words on its pages, his mind buzzing with what had happened to his friend's family. When the copper-haired man's breathing became even and deep Allen set aside the book and carefully tried to slide off of the bed without waking him up. Lysander must have been as exhausted as he had felt and stated, as nothing about him changed. He turned off the light and paused at the door, looking back at him one last time before heading home. When Lysander would wake up later he would likely message him, he was good about staying in contact like that. For now, hopefully some sleep would provide a momentary salve. He closed the door quietly, said a few things to Arthur and Lynn (who thanked him profusely for dropping by, Lysander was taking it very hard and he really needed someone his age to talk with), and went home, hands in his pockets as he tried to hunch inward on himself to help keep out the cold weather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	21. 21 September- Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 21st Prompt: Your character loses something important to them.
> 
> I already put the poor ginger nuisance through enough, and I'm so shit at remembering things and therefore losing them that this is sorta a very sore prompt for me. Still, got it done. :)

The weather was nice enough that for once Lysander wasn't averse to going for a swim, but he was still learning and not quite confident enough to brave the beach just yet. As such, he and Elliott went to the lake south of their house, which was much closer anyway, giving them the chance to give him some practice in a safer body of water. They had mentioned their intentions to their friends over Chatter, letting them know that they'd be back later that night for band practice, and received several self-invites to go with them, because, as was mentioned, it was a nice day for it. By the side of the lake Lysander pulled his shirt off over his head and dropped it atop his pants, which had already been discarded with his boots, leaving him in just his swim shorts. He waded into the water up to his knees, hissing a little at the chill, while Elliott likewise disrobed a few feet away. Slowly making his way into the cool water, Lysander gasped loudly as he was submerged past his shoulders, treading water and making a drawn-out squeak of discomfort. "Criminy, it's still hot out but the water is still really cold. But then, it's a great moderator and insulator, and something of this size isn't gonna get too warm that easily."

Elliott also found the temperature to be slightly under his preference, but forged ahead anyway and was doing a lazy backstroke inside of a couple of minutes. They sculled about, trying to warm themselves up a little, and were joined by the rest of the band and crew in short order. Sam almost exploded out of his garments, running around to the side with the pier jutting into the lake and leaping off of it to deliver an impressive cannonball. Haley and Abigail needed more time than Lysander did to get all the way into the water, liking the cold even less than he did, and Alex didn't quite leap in the same way that Sam had, but he still dove in without hesitation. Sebastian needed the longest time to join, as he was still shy about being seen in anything less than his hoodie and jeans, but apparently Abigail had promised him something or provided encouragement earlier, as he slowly ditched his outer garments and inched his way into the water. Lysander swam over to him and provided further support, knowing that he was out of his comfort zone, and that out of all of them he was the most likely to suffer sunburn if he wasn't careful.

Sam decided that Lysander was going to be his source of amusement, since Sebastian wasn't a strong swimmer, he didn't feel comfortable roughhousing with Abigail or Haley, Elliott was just _too nice_, and Alex could suplex him with just a thought. Further, it helped give the copper-haired man some much-needed aquatic confidence, so they splashed, dunked, and wrestled each other, laughing heartily. At one point Lysander pushed away for a moment to tread water and catch his breath. "Whoo, I am going to be wiped as all hell tonight," he remarked, scratching the back of his neck, "I hope I'll have enough energy to help cook and not-" Cutting off, his eyes went wide as he patted his neck with both hands, realizing that something was missing. "Oh no, no no no noooo, oh _fuck_!" His sudden outburst surprised them, but he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about it. "Oh _fuck_, it must have come off, I can't... The bottom is _deep_..."

"Dude, chill, you're missing what now?" asked Sam.

"My pendant! The engagement one!"

The band leader blinked and thought, then bit his lip, looking thoughtful and hesitant. "Oh shit, that's terrible. I can't remember you having it on at all today, but I wasn't paying attention. Shit, I didn't knock it off of you, did I? Ffffff..." He looked down in the water and grimaced. "I can dive okay, so I don't mind going down and looking for it, but it is dark down there and I'll be fishing blind. Kinda. At least we've been in this one area? Should be easy enough to search. Kinda."

His supportive words did nothing to ease the rising panic attack that Lysander was having, and Elliott swam over to hug him and offer soft kisses. "It's alright, dearest. Don't worry."

"But I can't _not_ worry, you had that made just for me from something that we found and it's the most precious thing I've got and it's not even been a year and I've already lost it and oh fuck I'm such a terrible person..." Elliott continued to try to soothe him, seeing tears beginning to form.

Alex gestured back to town. "I've got a pretty strong flashlight for underwater use, actually. Lemme run back home and get some swim goggles just in case and I can have a look around. We shouldn't have disturbed the soil down there, so hopefully it's just sitting on the bottom, right?" With graceful speed, Alex made his way back to his clothes and towel, in a pile near everyone else's. He knelt to grab his towel and glanced over at Lysander's clothes, then noticed something. Curious, he reached out and tugged at something, then grinned when it came free. He laughed as he stood up, grinning wide enough to split his face. "Heh, found it!"

"What?" Lysander was incredulous but didn't quite believe him. "It's... Wait, what?" Not quite as gracefully but almost as quickly he swam over to the shore and staggered out on cold, shaky legs.

Striding back to the water's edge with the shell-carved guitar pick necklace in hand, he shrugged and smiled. "It was kinda snagged on one of your buttons, probably got pulled off with your shirt and you didn't notice. Nothing's broken, either."

Gratefully, Lysander took the delicate item from his cousin, his breath caught in his throat, and clutched in both hands as he pressed it to his chest, letting out a ragged breath that was almost a sob. "Fucking fuck, I didn't notice that. I... I am such a dumbass... Working myself up like that over nothing."

He gasped for breath when Alex squeezed him in a tight hug and then roughly patted his back. "You're not a dumbass, just a doofus, and I'd probably have had the same reaction at first if I thought I'd lost mom's music box. There's some things that just make us a bit loopy."

Sagging visibly, Lysander nodded, smiling just a little when, once more, Elliott hugged him, holding him close and pressing kisses to his face and hair, chuckling quietly. "Relax, dearest. There is no damage done, and none of us think any less of you. Come, tuck it safely in your pockets and join us again a while longer. I will want to soak in the sun and then a hot shower after this, but for now I am enjoying everyone's company."

Again Lysander nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself, and very carefully put it in the pants pocket that also contained his cell phone. He was a little subdued when he rejoined his friends in the water, but the momentary panic faded quickly, as did any potential embarrassment. After another hour or two they all emerged from the water, grabbing their towels to spread out on the dock in the sunshine to dry off and warm up a little. (Except for Sebastian, he still joined them but remained in a more shady spot.) This had all been enough to wipe out both Lysander and Sam, who dozed off for a light nap, much to their friends' amusement, and were woken after a half an hour to get up to get dressed and head home. They still planned to have band practice that evening, so they would need to get home, clean up, change, and eat, then get over to the community center. Lysander was once more very careful about extracting the pendant from his pocket and putting it on, and ensured that it was hung carefully on a hook in the bedroom when he took it off to get into the shower. He was over it by the next day, but ever after that he was always a little more conscious of his treasured item.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	22. 22 September- Memories Made of Paper and Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 22nd Prompt: A character finds a picture of something that leaves them shocked.
> 
> More character backstory, this time for Lys's family. It's weird how I'm giving so much "screen time" to characters that never actually appear in the story, but it's still so fun. :D

Sitting at the kitchen table at the mayor's house, Lysander and Elliott sipped on hot tea and leafed through photos that Lewis had strewn about the table, having enlisted their help to sort and store them. They didn't mind, as many of these were technically Lysander's family photos, mostly of his parents and grandparents from when they lived there.

Thunder rumbled softly outside through an open window, letting in the smell of the rain and fresh, clean air, which Lysander inhaled happily as he picked up another photo. "Whomever took these had a good eye for it, and skill, considering the quality of cameras back then. It's so weird, too, seeing them all so young, especially grandpa, I can only ever remember him being old. Y'know?"

"Someday others will say the same of us," Elliott chuckled, stirring honey and milk into a fresh cup of tea, "though the manner of technology with which those images will be taken will likely be just as different, if not more so." He also picked up a random photograph, trying to mentally match the house there with one of the ones that currently stood, as not only had the town grown some since then, but so had the trees and other greenery. "We've been thinking of purchasing a decent printer and scanner combination one of these days. Once we do we will have to digitize as many of these as possible. One cannot replace physical prints, no, but at the same time, these cannot be replaced, and it would be a travesty should something happen to them."

Lewis sipped his own tea and sighed, an elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. "That's why I've been so careful about storing them for so long. I was terrified that all of this town's history and memories could get wiped out like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis and looked at the partially-sorted pile in front of them. "So much I remember, but there's also so many that I'm almost seeing for the first time, it's been so long."

Picking up a random one, Lysander laughed. "Do you remember her? She looks like a proper firebrand." The person in the photo was of a young woman, probably not in her twenties yet but bearing the build of someone who grew up working very hard on a farm. A cut on her cheek was bandaged with a bit of sticking plaster and her short, dark hair was tousled, likely from the same activity that had left her overalls and t-shirt somewhat dirty and slightly torn in a few places. Heavy boots were well-worn but in good condition, and she held a flat cap in one hand while the other was wiping a smudge from the bridge of her nose, barely hiding the broad, bright grin that touched her eyes.

"Oh? Give it here, that's..." Lewis took the picture, looked at it with surprise for a moment, then burst out laughing. "That's your grandmother, boy."

"Wait, _what_?!" Lysander snatched back the photo, examining it with greater scrutiny and no small amount of shock. "That's... She looked like that at my age? ...Okay, younger than I am now, but still, I don't remember her that well but that is not at all how I recall her."

This gave Lewis reason to laugh again, and he leaned back in his chair, holding the cup with both hands. "Really now, knowing your family does that _really_ surprise you that much? She was as much a terror as Lex was, no wonder they made such a happy couple later on. She was stronger and faster than a fair number of the men in town, and had a hell of a knack for machines. Clint's family have been blacksmiths for generations but she gave them a run for their money with her skill with a spanner and a hammer." Chuckling again, he sighed and stared out the window. "If it had an engine on it she had to know how it worked, and sometimes would take it apart to figure that out. We always joked that she had more oil in her veins than blood, and could repair damn near anything as if by magic."

Lysander grew crestfallen, also sighing deeply, his shoulders sagging. "That explains how she passed away, then." At the surprised, worried look that Elliott gave him, he gave a sad one back. "Something near twenty years back it was a _bad_ winter here, and grandpa ended up getting laid out with a cold. Nothing big, but best to just stay in bed and not make it worse. Grandma had gone out to take care of a few things on the farm, and some of the machinery had frozen over, so she apparently stayed out there getting it all fixed up so it would work. Looks like I get my stubborn streak from _every_ corner of my bloodline." Drinking the last of his tea he exhaled deeply. "But because of that she came down with something herself that ended up turning into walking pneumonia because she was trying to take care of everything while grandpa was sick and didn't want him to worry. ...At least, that's what I was told," he hedged, glancing up at Lewis.

"Correct. It caught us all by surprise, it was just out of nowhere. She had always been hardy and healthy, but something about that just knocked her right down, and back then we didn't have a local doctor. Getting into the city was already difficult, and with everything snowed in so bad I'm not surprised she chose to deal with it at home rather than risk the roads. ...Lex was never the same... He blamed himself for, well, everything about it, and he never forgave himself."

Elliott felt the need to hug Lysander firmly, making the other man blink with surprise before returning the hug. "Hey, it's okay, love, I'm better about taking care of myself, and... That time, I'm glad you were there, I might have ended up like her if I'd been alone at that time. Morgensonnes have been pretty terrible at sitting still to get better. Injury and illness just tends to make us angry. Heh."

Holding him a little longer, Elliott kissed the top of his head and squeezed him again before letting him go, returning to his tea and the pictures. "I had thought your animosity toward winter was primarily due to the cold, but events like this and the ones you have experienced lend credence toward a much greater and valid reason to despise that time of year. Well, I could use another cup, would you both- Damn!" As he stood up and offered refills a sudden gust of wind from outside caught the top of a pile, sending pictures floating and drifting across the kitchen. Everyone was on their feet, putting drink cups on the kitchen counter to prevent any accidental spills and set about retrieving the wayward prints. This somehow lightened the mood, and they laughed as they tracked down every last one, relieved that nothing had gotten lost or destroyed, and continued their task until they were tired but satisfied, having finally sorted everything and put them away very carefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	23. 23 September- A Different Kind of Role-Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //September 23rd Prompt: Your character having fun.
> 
> A bit late because I am a trash fire. Still, having fun, almost as much as Lys is in today's prompt, where I successfully link up his FF14 and SDV canon and MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA XD

"We have the day to ourselves, dearest," Elliott remarked, offering a cup of coffee to his husband, "is there anything in particular you'd like to do?"

"You?" Lysander giggled at the amused look he was given and sipped his coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter, dressed the same as the other man in an untied dressing-gown and nothing else. "Okay, in seriousness, while shagging you all day sounds great, I kinda wanna... Heh..." Elliott made a noise of interest as Lysander considered something, and the ginger-haired man blushed a little as he smiled behind his cup. "I...was kinda hoping to introduce you to that MMO we're playing. If the rain lets up enough for a walk I wanna go out and get a bit of exercise and hit the store, but while it's still pouring, well... If you don't want to I won't be offended, I don't know if you've ever been much of a gamer, but this one has a great story and I think you'd have fun with us all."

Considering this, Elliott smiled and put an arm around Lysander's waist, pulling him close for a kiss. "I think that I would enjoy that, yes. It isn't something I would play alone, but I've heard about it and the lore sounds simply fascinating. Sharing it with everyone would be a delight."

"Whoo! Well, shall we go deal with the garden, get scrubby clean, and then mess around online the rest of the day?"

This was decided upon as a good course of action, and once coffee and a morning snack had been eaten they changed into work clothes, dealing with the daily morning harvest from the greenhouse and other parts that needed tending. A shower was next, with a bit of naughty fun, because of course it was. Comfortable pajama pants and slippers were all that they needed after that to boot up their respective laptops, where Elliott began the process of installing the game while Lysander set up his account. (Using the friend system as well, netting them both some nifty bonuses and items!) While the install and setup continued Lysander went over the different classes available, helping Elliott decide on his first one. One could eventually play all classes on a single character, but it did help to have a starting point. Elliott liked the role of healer, and once the game was ready to go he spent a full twenty minutes ensuring that his character was just right. He had expected Lysander to sass him about that, but the other man laughed and confessed to doing the same thing, pointing out that other hair and modification styles could be unlocked later, so he would likely be spending a lot of time altering his appearance as he accessed styles and designs that better suited his aesthetic.

Lysander had run his character over to where Elliott would be starting, and proceeded to inundate the other man with items, money, and several other things to help him get started, as well as an invite to their guild, giving him further access to resources. Curiously, Sebastian was online as well, and he expressed surprise at their newest player. After a few minutes of going back and forth he agreed to join them to help Elliott get into the game and learn its mechanics, as while he had basically logged in to do some inventory clearing and other "maintenance" work, he was taking a small break from writing code and needed a distraction anyway. As they grouped up and met at the place where Elliott could best level up safely he looked across the table and chuckled. "You've not stopped smiling since I began downloading everything."

Giggling, Lysander shrugged and reached over to squeeze Elliott's hand. "I'm happy. Being able to share this sort of thing with you is great, and you'll really have fun. I already am, and I'm going to have a total blast running around with you. Ah, there's 'Bas, let's pop into voice chat and get going. Don't let us ruin anything for you, either!" He pointed a finger at him and grinned. "We've been playing since a bit after launch, so we know, like, e_verything_. You're new to the world and lore and stuff, so if it feels like we're just dragging you along tell us to stop or wait up."

Elliott smiled even more warmly and nodded, joining one of the voice channels in Chatter. "Very well, let us run amok. And I must say, you manage to always look stylish and fashionable, whether in real life or in a digital setting."

This got a hearty laugh out of Lysander, who used a few pose emotes, much to Elliott's amusement. Sebastian had just joined the chat and snorted audibly. "Haven't you heard? Looking good is the _true_ end-game, according to him."

"Where's the lie? I make this look good and you know it."

They hunted for a full two hours before taking a fast break for restrooms, drinks, and snacks, then returned to adventuring for a few more hours. They only paused again later when hunger drove them offline and to searching for something more substantial. Elliott stood and stretched, grunting a little from the effort, then went around to hug the other man, who was also having a good stretch, hugging him firmly. "This was such fun, thank you for including me, dearest." He kissed him softly and squeezed him again. "And you?"

Lysander hugged him tightly in return, bouncing a little on his toes. "I had a blast, love, this was a good idea. Thanks for indulging me. Well! Time to make dinner so we can have a bit more of a break to stretch out, then get back to getting you all of the levels?"

"That sounds wonderful. The sooner we begin the sooner we can return."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	24. 24 September- Old Flame Rekindled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 24th Prompt: Your character meets someone they haven’t seen for a very long time.
> 
> Maybe this wasn't a _very_ long time, but it was the only thing I could really come up with, and I wanted to write this moment anyway. So nyeah! :P

Lysander was checking a couple of things on his phone when he got a message from a friend, one he'd not seen in a while.

**QuantumEntangler:** hey Lys, you're still in the city?

**SixStrings:** yeah, same apartment, too! Been going to school at university here, still working on a degree, probably will be until I die XD

**QuantumEntangler:** oh! Cool! I'm back, too, was thinking of enrolling in the next semester. You free soon? Was hoping to catch up and get your impressions about the school and programs available

**SixStrings:** again, yeah, was planning to goof off tonight since I don't have classes until later tomorrow morning. You remember where I live?

**QuantumEntangler:** it's hard not to! I almost spent more time there than I did my own house. I'll be by in an hour or so, I'm off getting coffee. I'll bring you one

**SixStrings:** best bestie ever <3

True to his word, Allen arrived about forty five minutes later, holding two cups of coffee. Lysander let him in, and once the cups had been safely set down wrapped his friend in a warm hug, kissing his cheek. "Aw, mate, I missed you. And you're looking great, proper healthy." He held him at arm's length, grinning broadly, and Allen blushed a little but smiled in reply.

"You're looking great, too. I figured you'd be malnourished or something from a bachelor's diet, but I guess you figured out how to cook after all."

"Nah, I just survive off of frozen packs of vegetables and whatever else requires as little prep as possible. I've dated a few people who really tried to teach me to cook, but for some reason it just hasn't stuck with me."

Taking one of the cups of coffee, Allen sipped it and smirked over the rim. "Probably because you were too busy ogling them or wiped out from banging the last three hours."

"Hey now!" laughed Lysander, taking the other cup, "I'm not _that_ bad. I mean, yeah, I've got a crazy high libido but I try to keep it under control. Though it's a wonder my right arm isn't crazy buff, and my junk isn't wicked chafed, y'know?"

They both laughed heartily, sitting on the edge of his bed in the studio apartment, which was rather light on furnishings save the essentials. The coffee was finished quickly while they conversed, catching up on events and interests, each other's health, what was offered at the university that Allen might be interested in studying, and other things. After an hour or so, Lysander set aside the empty cup and stretched his arms over his head before flopping back onto the bed.

"It's almost like old times. ...Well, except that we're not hooking up."

Allen set aside his likewise empty cup and snorted with amusement. "Oh? Are you suggesting we should?"

Looking thoughtful, Lysander turned to him and shrugged with his hands folded behind his head. "I'm not saying we shouldn't. The time I've spent with you has always been great, even when it's not between the sheets. I like you, a lot, and it's great to have you back in my life. If that can be intimate as well then hurrah, but if not, I'm not bothered."

Allen looked at the toes of his shoes for a few moments as he thought, then shifted as he blushed a little again. "I...wouldn't mind. You're...really good at what you do, and you make me feel good, like, all over, and in a lot of ways."

With a chuckle that was almost a growl, Lysander sat up and nuzzled Allen's neck, earning a soft gasp. "And you did a good job of making me feel good, too. Well, if you don't mind taking a couple of minutes to have a bit of fun, I have missed the taste of you..."

"Ah! Ahhh... Gods, Lys, that's..." He shivered and managed a lopsided smile. "Only an hour together and you're already..."

"What? If you want me to I'll stop, but you _are_ enjoying this, and I'm pretty sure that nobody has been able to suck you off like I can."

Allen shivered again. "N... No, nobody else has..." With a weak chuckle, he rested his weight on his hands behind himself. "I guess I can spare a few minutes for that, since you're offering and all." The sultry look that Lysander gave him made him twitch against his pants that fit a bit too snugly now, and he moaned into a deep, warm kiss. He didn't resist when Lysander pushed him all the way to the bed and undid his trousers, only moaning again as his fingers recalled the memory of tangling in that long, copper-colored hair when he felt a familiar warmth and touch as he was pulled free from the front of his pants. It wasn't until he was _very_ spent many minutes later that he finally let go, breathing heavily and feeling extremely relaxed, much more than he had in quite some time. "....Well... It's good to be back..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	25. 25 September- One's Own Worst Enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 25th Prompt: Your character is trapped in a room with a body.
> 
> This one is like the second to actually have warnings, so beware of very strong language, violence, and suicide mentions. Cheers. <3

Lysander slammed the door shut behind himself, breathing heavily as tears ran down his face, with a pain in his chest that made him double over for a moment. They'd never fought like that before. It had started over something stupid, he couldn't even remember what it was now, but it had come to blows, and that look of pain and hate that Elliott had given him... Gods, it broke his heart, it hurt like nothing ever had before, but he deserved it. For taking a swing at him in anger like that and knocking him to the floor he deserved it, and he hadn't tried to defend himself when Elliott had done the same to him. However, he had been the one to run away. Rather than try to make up or say anything he had just fled. Fucking coward.

Though eyes blurred with tears, he staggered into his studio apartment, arms wrapped around himself as he choked back a sob, then gave up and let it happen. But something felt off, this room... This... Something wasn't right. Wait, he wasn't alone. The door had been open, but he hadn't opened it, he'd closed it. Fuck, Elliott had gotten there first.

Fuck, oh _fucking fuck!!!_

Fearing the worst he went to the kitchen and stopped cold in his tracks. The other man was unmoving on the floor, a knife in one hand and blood pooling around him. 

"No... Oh fucking no, Elliott... I..." He felt his heart pound in his ears and he felt himself reel dizzily, collapsing to his knees. As he grabbed onto the counter for support, he saw a dish towel and grabbed it, suddenly feeling extremely stupid. This wasn't going to help, there was too much everywhere... He had been too late... Pressing the towel to the wound on Elliott's neck, he flinched when he felt how cold he was. "No, Elliott, I'm sorry, please, don't..."

"Don't what?" taunted a voice behind himself. He jumped and turned to see-

"What-"

He stood over himself, sneering with contempt. "You killed him, dumbass. Oh, you didn't hold the knife yourself, but you might as well have. Those names you called him, taking a swing at him. Really, who would love you after that? And after all he did for you, too. What a selfish, spiteful, uncaring asshole you are." Lysander was speechless under his own glare, and his other self snorted and aimed a kick at him that he barely dodged. "How many times has this happened now? Pity you didn't do it right the first time way back when, you'd have saved a lot of people a lot of pain and heartache. But no, you managed to survive because the person you hurt chased you down and saved you just in time. And look here, it happened the other way around, but you were too late. Too slow. Too useless."

Lysander's fist clenched around the blood-drenched towel. "...Fuck off..."

"Oh! He speaks!" The double laughed and made a rude gesture at him. "Please, you can't do anything. You're too weak, too-"

"SHUT UP!" Lysander scrambled to his feet and took a wild swing at himself, who dodged aside with insulting ease.

"Pfft. What a little bitch you are, always trying to sort things out with violence and fucking it up even worse after." Again other-Lysander evaded an attack. "You can't get anything right, can you? That's all you can do. Just hurt people and ruin lives." Lysander clenched his fists, tears running down his cheeks, unable to answer, and didn't move when the other-self strolled over, smirking again. "Maybe you need to try to kill yourself again so you don't fuck up any other lives, or are you just going to fail at that, too? Loser." He punctuated this by shoving Lysander with both hands, making him trip over Elliott's body, and Lysander continued to fall-

-Until he hit the floor, tangled in the bedsheets. This sudden tug, along with the shout of pain and fear, woke Elliott, who sat up and immediately leaned over the side of the bed. "Dearest, what-"

"I'm sorry! Don't-" Holding his arms up to shield himself from something, it took a moment for Lysander to realize where he was and what had happened. For a moment he felt a rush of relief that it hadn't been real, but the look of hurt concern on Elliott's face was ice in his veins, and he broke down again, trying to hide behind his hands and the blanket.

"Lysander, love, my dear, what happened? Please, talk to me." Now untangled from the sheet Elliott sat on the floor, pulling Lysander close. "Another nightmare? What happened?" It took a minute for the details to be gasped out in broken fragments, but once Elliott pieced it together he shuddered and pulled the other man close. "You have no greater enemy than your own mind. I am not angry, please, believe me. It was a small argument, and once I had a moment to clear my mind I was no longer angry. Further, I was angry at the situation, not at you. I'm sorry that I caused you this pain."

"_It wasn't your fault!_" The sudden outburst surprised Lysander more than it did Elliott, and only halted the tears for a moment before he broke down again. "None of it was. That or my dream or... It's... I'm going to be a fucked up mess forever and... And..." He choked up and had to take a few breaths to clear it. "I don't want you to not confront me because you'll be worried that I'll lose control or I'll have these dreams or I'll try to kill myself again and I... I... I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, I'm just so weak..."

Squeezing him even more tightly, Elliott kissed his forehead and stroked his hair. "My dearest, I will only get angry at you if you call yourself weak again. You are not. You experienced trauma once that changed your entire life and shook you to your core. It will take a lot of time and love to heal that. And you know what?" Lysander sniffed and looked up but didn't answer. "I will give you all of that, as much as you need. Here, the floor is uncomfortable. Let us get back to bed, and if you feel you can manage it, please tell me of your dream. I'd rather you not bottle it up, but if you'd rather not divulge..."

Lysander took another deep breath and tried to compose himself. "I... Yeah, I'll talk. Just... Gimmie a sec to wipe my face really fast." Elliott fixed the bedsheets and welcomed Lysander back into them, hugging him softly and playing with his hair. Snuggled up against the reassuring solid warmth of his partner, Lysander still felt like a wrung-out dishtowel but felt himself recovering, and he relayed the memory of the nightmare. As he gave voice to his inner fears he felt their hold lessen on him, loosened by the gentle love he felt from Elliott, and allowed himself a smile at the end of it. It was a long journey to recovery, but he'd get there, with help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	26. 26 September- Switching Styles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 26th Prompt: Character 2 and character 1 wearing each other's clothes.
> 
> Yeah, they already did this once before, but sometimes it's fun to revisit ideas :D

"You always make that look so good, I'm rather envious," Lysander sighed, watching Elliott pull some slacks off of a hanger, "and weird, we're not that far apart in height but our clothes fit so weird on each other." He hugged him from behind and examined them both in the mirror. "You're only, what, an inch taller than me? But you've got two inches on your shoulders compared to mine. ...Also, it's still weird I've got kinda girly hips, you get that classic 'inverted triangle' but I'm a bit more of a cylinder."

Chuckling, Elliott set aside the trousers and turned to hug Lysander properly. "Well, there's other things, too, depth of chest for instance. I remember that day that we wore each other's clothes to amuse our friends and it's still odd to me how your garments fit."

With a grin, Lysander tweaked his nose. "Wanna trade again? I'm curious to see how everything fits after a year and all of this hard work we've both been doing. That, and you were hot as all heck in my clothes, you looked so... Dangerous."

Elliott kissed him and laughed. "And you looked positively elegant. Well, I am in the mood for a bit of harmless merriment. I'll pull out for you what I was going to wear if you'll do the same for me."

This got a sinister giggle out of Lysander, who went to his side of the closet and removed a black, long-sleeved shirt and a short-sleeved button-down shirt in dark blue, then set aside a khaki-colored pair of his usual cargo pants. Meanwhile, Elliott was setting aside a charcoal waistcoat and trousers with a shirt in green. Undergarments were their own to obtain, however, and after initially reaching for their own clothes out of habit, they shared a laugh and donned each other's outfits. It took Lysander more time than Elliott due to all of the buttons involved, but the blonde man was more perplexed at the unconventional feel and fit of his partner's clothes.

"I am accustomed to sleeves that button at the cuffs, so ones that simply end are bizarre," he remarked, then adjusted the belt on his slacks. "And the cut of these are very comfortable and roomy, but I feel as though they are about to fall off. We both wear the same waist size, but these don't fit as closely, nor do they have that crease to which I am accustomed."

"I was gonna say all of that in reverse," Lysander chuckled, failing for the third time to fasten the cuff on his right wrist, "the pants are comfy but fit much more snugly than I'm used to, and it almost feels like this shirt is hanging off of me a little." He stood in front of the mirror and turned a bit in it, then nodded and tugged at the front, having not yet done up the waistcoat. "Yeah, you've got an inch or more on your torso than I do, a bit more depth. This fits okay but it feels like it should be taken in a bit more so it doesn't look all sloppy and wrinkled. Still..." He finally did up the final buttons and examined himself again. "This does look wicked posh on me, I like it. If I can ever get something correctly fitted then I might wear it. Hey, Emily has your measurements and stuff, right? It shouldn't be too hard to alter some of those patterns once she's got my numbers."

Elliott tugged at the hem of his shirt, resisting yet again the urge to tuck it in, and likewise plucked at the front as he examined the lay of the fabric. "Correct on all counts. This fits comfortably, technically, but I can feel that the fabric is snug against me, where it simply fits you properly. Thankfully it's not stretched or it would look silly, but I feel rather self-conscious for some reason."

Tugging at the hem as well, but out of curiosity, Lysander also adjusted the over-shirt and smiled. "Yeah, it still looks good, and it's not riding up on you, but I can see how you'd feel like it's almost indecent. Funny enough, this is how I felt when I was trying on the shirts I first brought with me when I moved here after I'd been here a year. It was so weird how I'd put on so much lean muscle and because of it nothing fit right." He hugged Elliott and grinned even more widely. "You had that, too, didn't you? You were never skinny or flabby, but your old stuff is fitting just a tad small these days, aren't they?"

This prescience amused him, and Elliott ruffled the copper hair, making it even messier than it was when he had woken up. "Only the shirts, thankfully. And they were tailored as such so that I've been able to have them be let out to adjust for any growth, which Emily has done with a very skilled hand. As such, I'm still wearing the same clothes as I had at first, but they've been altered to suit me as I have changed."

"Heh, cheater." Lysander turned to the mirror again and tried to examine himself from behind. "Well, at least the length is correct, I'd look a right dingus with cuffs dragging on the floor and you'd look tacky with a hem partway up your calf but not actually short enough to actually be capris."

They laughed and conversed for a little while longer, discussing the finer points of their respective fashions and making mental notes for the future. Until they realized that they had someplace to be, whereupon they rushed to finish dressing and simply remained in each other's clothes, figuring that they could amuse others as well since they didn't have the time to change back. They got more compliments than they had expected, and more mental notes were made...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	27. 27 September- Idol Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 27th Prompt: Your character meets an important person in their world.
> 
> *Grins at title, hums in Macross Plus.*

Lysander sat on one of the stools at the bar, ordering a cold, unfiltered wheat beer. He and Elliott had got to the gig site a bit early since they were already in town for a few errands, so he felt free to snag a couple of drinks. They weren't going on stage for at least two hours, so he had plenty of time. As he pulled out his phone to get his card out of the attached wallet he accidentally elbowed the person next to him. "Ah, crap, sorry! Didn't spill anything, did I?" He was reassured that he had not, and Lysander smiled, raising his glass. "Ah, nifty, cheers then." He took a sip then looked back at the other man. "Half a moment, aren't..." His eyes went wide and he had to suppress a noise of glee, then blushed and tried to hide in his glass. "Crap again, sorry, I didn't mean to fangasm on you, I just wasn't expecting to literally bump into, y'know..."

The other person was the bassist for Lysander's favorite band and therefore one of his role models. He wasn't exactly disguised, per se, but sunglasses and a hat did wonders for keeping one's appearance altered enough for most people. That, and he wasn't wearing his "stage clothes," so to speak, so there honestly wasn't much to differentiate him from other patrons. Smiling and shrugging, the older musician sipped his own drink. "No worries, it's always nice to meet a fan. Sorry, though, I try not to do autographs outside of a gig."

Waving his hand, Lysander chuckled. "Oh, no worries at all, I totally get that. You're off the clock, really, so this is _you_ time." He blinked and looked confused, earning a query of interest. "Mm, sorry, didn't mean to be rude, just wondering what you're doing in a place like this, that's all."

"Why else would someone be here? You know who's on tonight, right?"

Looking even more perplexed, Lysander looked over at the stage. "Well, we're going on later, but I didn't know that there were-" He did a double take. "Wait, _you_ are here to see _us_?"

The elder bassist now looked confused, then examined Lysander closely. He snorted and sipped his drink again. "Heh, should have recognized that hair, you're their bassist, aren't you? Glad to meet another professional enthusiast." He extended a hand, and Lysander almost didn't return the gesture, being flat-out amazed that not only was a personal hero there to see _them_, but he was sitting next to him, sharing a drink!

"I... Ah, well, it sounds kinda stupid, but thanks, it means a lot, I really hope you enjoy the show."

"You all have passion for music and a love for what you do. Anyone who listens to your music can hear that. Just don't lose sight of why you started making music in the first place and you'll go far."

Feeling a warm, elated feeling welling up in his chest, Lysander blinked back tears of joy and nodded. "I'll remember that and pass it on, thanks." He saw Elliott walk over and waved to him. "Hey, love, fancy a drink before we go on?"

"Just one, I do not quite have the same alcohol tolerance that you do." He took a seat next to his husband and ordered a lemon drop, then nodded to the man on the other side. "My apologies if I interrupted anything. Please, continue."

With another chuckle, the other bassist shrugged. "Just one musician encouraging another. Hmm, you're their pianist, aren't you? Yeah, I can see it, no wonder you harmonize so well. Well, many years of happiness to you both."

Blushing yet again, Lysander thanked him, leaning into the one-armed hug that Elliott gave him. "We're doing the best we can. ...Thanks, coming from you, that means a lot."

"Well, if someone else can say the same to you someday then I'll say you have done the best you can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	28. 28 September- First Time, First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 28th Prompt: Character one takes character two out on a date.
> 
> I'm really enjoying writing Lys's early years with his bestie, it sets up so much good stuff later on and really gives insights to his character :)

Sighing happily, Lysander hugged his friend- now his lover- tightly and kissed the top of his head. "I know I don't have anything to compare it to, but that was good. You make me feel good," he purred, and chuckled at the blush that Allen now wore. Which was the only thing at the moment.

"You are such a dweeb. But...you're right, that was good. Didn't expect my first time to be this nice." He ran a hand along Lysander's side and enjoyed the feeling of their mutual warmth. "Thanks for that."

"Mm. Yeah..." Staring off at nothing, Lysander shifted a little to grab his phone and check it. "Y'know what, I'm going to be a proper boyfriend to you. I've got a bit of spare cash, and I wanna celebrate."

"Wha- Wait, celebrate?" Allen propped himself up on his elbows, looking surprised. "For what?"

Smiling softly, Lysander traced soft fingers down his companion's cheek. "For getting this apartment, for being able to have you, for things just going well..."

Blushing again, Allen laughed. "Boyfriend? Really."

"Well, since I _did_ take your virtue I should try to make an honest man of you now, shouldn't I?"

This got another laugh, and Allen sat up to bop him with a pillow. "Fine, I... Heh, I don't mind, actually. We've already hung out forever, I guess dating is sorta the next step."

Lysander grinned and sat up as well, leaning over to kiss his new boyfriend and gently tug a lock of his hair. "Well, now that we've got that figured out, 'cmon, I'll take you somewhere. My treat."

"I...have kinda wanted to try that ramen place a couple of blocks away..." He giggled when Lysander hugged him fiercely and nibbled his neck. "Ahh! You doofus! Stop, hahaha!"

Letting go and bouncing to his feet, Lysander began trying to sort out the hastily discarded clothes and get dressed. "Ramen it is, then. That sounds great."

Half an hour later they were seated, poring over the menu together. Their order placed with the waiter, Lysander cautiously reached across the table to squeeze Allen's hand, and was relieved to see him smile and not pull away. "...Well, so you think you're okay with dating me now that you've had the chance to think about it?"

Rubbing his thumb over the back of Lysander's hand, Allen thought about it and nodded. "Yeah. It's kinda weird, you're my best friend and all, so it should be strange. But I like being around you, and especially after...what we did a bit ago..." He blushed again and adjusted his glasses. "Who knows how long it'll last before we find other people or get tired or whatever, but for now I...like this. I feel safe and comfortable."

"Well, then I'll do this as long as you like, and if you ever decide you want to break it off then let me know. I'm not gonna hold you back from being happy, mate."

Like the old friends that they were (and more than that now!) they chatted over their meal before returning to Lysander's apartment. Once back it was Allen who timidly suggested that they have another go at some intimate exertion, then squeaked and blushed the color of Lysander's hair. However, this offer delighted the other man to no end, who gladly and eagerly took him up on the offer. Allen was quite spent when they went to sleep much later, but not nearly as much as his lover, curling up around him and enjoying so many new but welcome sensations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	29. 29 September- Bundle of Joy...And Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 29th Prompt: Someone hands your character a baby
> 
> Despite being bi/pansexual in all of his incarnations across several games and other series, he's yet to actually hook up with a female. As such, I honestly don't know how he'd react to his own kids, but everyone else's? LOL :D

Lysander dismounted from his motorcycle once Elliott had done so from behind him, removing his helmet and shaking out his hair. Now that the both of them were off Elliott was able to retrieve a small bag with things like a hairbrush and other items to help clean up after riding a distance. He handed it over while removing his own helmet and led the way up the walkway to his parents' house, knocking on the door and removing his gloves. His father answered the door and let them in with a smile, offering them both hugs. "Ah, you made it safely, good. I know you both are skilled and take precautions, but one can only do so much when others are concerned as well."

"Elliott and Lysander are here?" asked a female voice from down the hall, to which the reply was in the affirmative. The three of them went to the living room and were greeted by Elliott's mother, sipping tea while sitting on the couch, apparently conversing with two other people that Elliott immediately recognized.

"Charles! Jeanette! You both are looking well, how have you been?" Charles had been holding their daughter but passed her to his wife to stand up and offer hugs to the two new arrivals. "Are you joining us for dinner?" His mother also got up, but to take the empty cups to the kitchen, offering a peck on the cheek for them both as she walked by.

"Sadly, no, we have prior engagements tonight, but were able to stop by long enough for a quick cup of tea to catch up with mother and father." His hug for Lysander was surprisingly warm and supportive, something that the copper-haired man should have been used to for some time. He was slowly getting used to the open fondness that his in-laws had for him, mostly because he had assumed that his family's history with theirs would have produced some level of friction. "Well! Elliott continues to look better ever time I see him. You've been an amazing influence for him. Thank you!"

Chuckling, Lysander rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, well, he's been pretty damn amazing for me, too, so thank you for being a kickass older brother to him."

While the two of them conversed Elliott carefully offered his sister-in-law a hug, as she was trying to juggle the baby. "I've not seen you in some time, it looks like she's grown to twice her size since we last met."

"I've got pictures if you like," she offered, then looked at her purse on the couch. "If you could hold her for a moment while I get my phone..." He eagerly accepted her offer and bounced his niece to make her laugh while her mother retrieved her phone and began to show him photos since he had last seen them. "Since you two aren't the kids-having type it sounds like you've got a cat?" she asked with a grin, slightly teasing yet still interested.

"Ah, yes! Xander! He is such a bother but so much fun. My phone, let me see..." Rather than force Jeanette to try to juggle both her phone and her daughter he turned to his husband. "Dear, would you?"

In the middle of a conversation with Charles, Lysander reflexively turned and accepted what was handed to him, then froze in panic, arms outstretched. "...Um..." Elliott didn't notice, or at least pretended not to, while he pulled out his own phone and found the photos of Xander that he had liked the most. "...Um?..." Charles facepalmed and snorted with amusement while Jeanette sighed and rolled her eyes. "...Um!..."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers, Charles shook his head before retrieving the wriggling baby, who seemed to be more entertained than bothered. "Really, Lysander, have you never dealt with children before?"

"No!" The reply was a bit of a panicked squeak, then he blushed and cleared his throat. "No, I haven't. I had only one friend growing up and that was it. Never baby-sat or any of that sort of thing, either. And no," he pouted, glaring at Elliott, knowing what he'd say, "I never dated anyone with kids, either. So, just...shut up." His mother-in-law had just returned from the kitchen, giving him a _very_ strange look as she had only caught the last couple of sentences, and he blushed again. Elliott laughed and hugged him, ruffling hair that needed to be brushed out again anyway.

Glancing around the people assembled in the living room she rightly assumed that she had missed some bizarre conversation and offered her younger son a wry smile. "I still say it is for the best that you are a man, as I shudder to think of any children that take after you."

Making a noise of insulted pride, Lysander huffed as he was hugged again. Elliott patted his head condescendingly. "Oh, we already do, and it's the cat. So I suppose your point still stands."

Lysander pulled away and retrieved the hairbrush from the bag, undoing the ribbon that held back his hair and began brushing it. "At least I won't vomit or pee in your shoes for that. But if we keep me waiting for food any longer I will start howling at you and rubbing up against your trouser leg while being an utter pest about it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


	30. 30 September- Manners and Mannerisms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // September 30th Prompt: Character 1 must teach character 2 some sort of manners.
> 
> I kinda fudged this one a bit, but sod it, close enough, and I told the story I wanted to. 
> 
> Also, THIRTY PROMPTS, GET! It's a day late, but I was able to do all of them. Whoooo! Now to finish Book 3 and get working on 4 and 5... :)

Sitting outside of Sam's house while he waited for his friend to grab something, Lysander pulled out one of his strawberry-flavored cigarillos and lit it, taking a long drag of it and exhaling a thin stream of smoke. He stretched out on his back in the shade of the tree, one ankle hooked over a bent knee and his hands folded behind his head. Presently, he heard the sound of people approaching, and adjusted his sunglasses so he could better see who it was. "Hey mate, how goes?" he smiled waving at Penny, who approached with Vincent and Jas in tow.

"Hello, Lysander, we're off to the library, are you waiting for Sam?"

"Yup, figured I'd enjoy a bit of sunshine, it's a nice day out. While staying downwind, of course," he noted removing the smoke from his lips and gesturing with it.

Vincent wrinkled his nose. "Aren't those bad for you? Like, they're supposed to make your teeth fall out and your breath smell like butt and your lungs to shrivel up like raisins and-" He was interrupted by a surprised gasp from Penny, but Lysander simply laughed and sat up, removing his sunglasses and taking another drag from his cigarillo.

"Technically, kinda yeah. Though Sebastian and I don't smoke normal cigarettes, so while these aren't technically as bad they're still hardly good for you."

"Then why do you smoke them? It sounds stupid."

Penny gently admonished Vincent for his statement, but once more Lysander laughed and waved a hand. "Nah, he's got the right of it, it _is_ stupid, but funny enough, some of the most interesting habits often are." He flicked some ash carefully into the dirt so as to not risk sparks. "That's one of many things you'll find out as you get older. Some things that are bad for you are kinda fun and even satisfying. Some foods, habits like this, and some others that I can't mention 'cause you're too young." He chuckled and grinned at them, taking a long pull once more. "Things like cookies and candies are irresistible now, but other things are going to get addictive, too, and it takes a lot of discipline and willpower to do the right thing and not do or consume those things."

"Then does that mean you're really weak because you keep smoking those, then?"

Before Penny could scold Vincent for continuing to speak up like this Lysander burst out laughing. "Ha! Where's the lie? No, he's being a little rude about it, but it's okay, Penny, it's the truth. I've got a lot of willpower and stuff, but I let myself have bad habits like this because it makes resisting the harder stuff easier. If you try to refrain from having _anything_ nice at all then you get really unhealthy people. Y'know, mentally. All of that energy has to go _somewhere_, y'know, and if you've got pent-up frustration it can turn into some very nasty emotions and habits really easily. So," he remarked, once more flicking ash off of the end and taking a small puff, "these are bad, yeah, but they're less bad than some other things, and keep me from indulging in _really_ bad stuff or being miserable because I don't let myself have anything nice. Make sense?"

Jas had been examining him quietly, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Oh, so that's why Uncle Shane drinks so much, then! To keep himself from doing really bad stuff, right?"

Lysander and Penny went silent, and he exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his bangs. "...No, actually. What Shane is doing is exactly the opposite. He's not doing that because he wants to or because it feels good, but because there are things in his life that hurt a lot right now and that is how he's, well... How he's surviving. He isn't weak, let me get that right out of the way right now, but sometimes there are things that are too big and bad to handle and you just...don't heal. On the inside. Maybe soon he'll be able to deal with what's causing that pain and not need to drink so much, and I hope so, because how much he takes in is causing harm of its own. But people like him don't take well to people getting into his business. I know from personal experience. All you can do is provide him with, well, a place to be. A place where he can get better but not need to ask for help or have people pitying him. Because when you're in a spot like he is having people look down on you only makes it worse."

The sound of Sam leaving the house interrupted Lysander, and he was somewhat grateful for it. "Hey Lys, I'm ready! ...Oh, hi Penny." She and Lysander smiled at the way he got very shy and quiet around her, and she blew him a kiss, giggling at how he got even more crimson. "Err, heh, thanks, um... Oh! Lys, so, ready to go?"

Getting up and dusting himself off, Lysander put his sunglasses back on. "Yeah, let's head out. Cheers all, have fun at the library, learn amazing things, okay?"

A harmony of "okay!" from both children made him smile, and he waved at them and Penny as they walked off. "So, I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"

"Nah, just offering a bit of an adult perspective and some wisdom, that's all."

"Pfft, as if, you're a terrible influence and we all know it."

Laughing and exhaling another long stream of smoke, Lysander nudged his friend. "You only know part of it, mate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//

**Author's Note:**

> //If for whatever reason you think I'm interesting, I am the [Random Squirrel](http://randomsquirrel.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Contains reblogs of things I think are interesting and random acts of shitposting.//


End file.
